Sugarless Tea
by Snowy702
Summary: Ryan Clarke is a young up and starting baker, new to London. Hiding out from her family by living her dream but she didn't realize that in doing so she would run into a man like Sherlock Holmes. ((First Sherlock Fic)) ( Sherlock/OC)
1. Beginnings

"Blueberry Babies outta the oven Philippe!" Ryan called to the front of the bakery.

A tall lanky man with a flour stained apron burst through the door.

"Ah, Ry! You angel you must be reading my stomach! The customers will be thrilled that your world class berry muffins are at last ready!" Philippe exclaimed as he helped her in taking out two muffins and offing them, Small crumbs forming along his mustache.

" Calm down, they're not going to be world anything if you keep trying to eat the merchandise." Ryan said smacking his hands away taking the uneaten pastry from him and setting it down among the others.

" But Ryan you must know how delicious, and tantalizingly good they are."

This was a warning flag to Ryan's ears. The assistant manager never complemented on her baking this much. " What do you need to say Philippe?" Ryan said placing the muffins on serving trays.

" What can't I just give you a good job for so many worked hours in front of this god FORSAKEN - the Sanchez Wedding canceled- OVEN and for giving you gift of happiness to so MANY- the groom ran off with the brides sister - BRIGHT eyed customers who love to see-"

" WHAT?! The Sanchez Wedding CANCELLED?!" Ryan said as she slammed the tray down on the counter. " Are you serious? Philippe.. " she turned towards him with her hands splayed in rage. " Please tell me you at least got their security deposit, the wedding is tomorrow!"

"Was tomorrow..." Philippe tried to joke with her.

" Ryan what do you think I am stupid? Yes I got the deposit..." His lagh was full and hearty and then it died out. "... But I am stupid enough to not check if it would bounce or not ."

" Philippe..." Ryan said through her teeth balling her fists. " That wedding was going to be my rent for the next three months."

" Don't worry, I have a plan." He said putting his shoulders on Ryan's confidently.

" What may that plan be?" Ryan stared him down.

" We sell our bodies to the night." He smiled, nodding his head up and down excitedly.

Ryan's expression was grim, " SOoo .. you mean to tell me that in all that time and product wasted, your plan is to become escorts..."

Philippe laughed. " Ryan do you think I was serious? No.. no. ..." he paused. " Just you"

Ryan pushed him away tearing away her apron and turning off the oven. " I'm going home to talk to my land lady, and by the time I get back. I trust that you can find a better way to push a Wedding cake meant for an army and 300 Cupcakes that have ' Diego and Luna forever' written all over them in custom royal icing, or I swear it this time Philippe, I'll quit."

" You won't quit, you love me too much for that." Philippe said stuffing another muffin in his mouth as she reached the front door.

" Good Bye Philippe. AND stop eating the muffins!" She yelled back and with that walked onto the London streets to clear her head.

As she walked she thought back to just a few months ago when she saw a flyer on the window of a diner, for a one bedroom apartment. Ryan thought that it was about time to leave the over crowded nest of the dorms and find her own way. The collage dorms were an okay to get away with living from place to place and to meet new people but she'd rather shower alone. Mrs. Hudson the land lady was very kind and offered her tea when they first met. They spoke of how Ryan worked full time and then some at a nearby bakery. How Ryan's passion was baking and culinary and gave her a plate of chocolate cookies to sweeten the deal. Mrs. Hudson fell in love with the thought of the baked goods smell every day to make up for the fowl scent the building already had.

They saw into the three flats she owned. The lower one wasn't in question "livable" according to Mrs. Hudson so they looked into the other one bedroom she had available. Ryan was amazed. High ceilings and a great view of part of the city. It was small but small enough for her. The two shook on it and Ryan moved in with only her clothes and some sentimental items. Being such a rocky start for Ryan, she asked Philippe and secured herself a pull out couch and a few items here and there from his ex-wife's that he thought suited Ryan. She was on her way to putting together a home for herself, something that she hasn't had in a long time.

When Ryan made her way home and up the stairs to her flat, not quite ready to face Mrs. Hudson about the recent fall through with her next renters check. On her way up she saw the second floors flat's door ajar.

'Better a time as any.' Ryan thought.

" Mrs. Hudson?" She said while opening it to see a man unpacking some books onto a shelf. His facial features were very prominent, Curly dark hair and a very stern look in his eyes.

" I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to barge in. Mrs. Hudson didn't tell me that she had a new tenant. " His gaze was alarmingly straight forward. "So I ... will be on my way then..." as Ryan turned out she saw Mrs. Hudson coming up the stairs.

" Ryan, Good to see you deary, I've seen you met Sherlock." She came through and went to clear his kitchen table. "Sherlock this is Ms. Clarke. She lives above you."

" Hello, " She extended her hand to shake his, "It's nice to meet about all that."

" Are you a opposed to the Violin during the night" He asked shaking her hand.

" No, that's probably the best time to play. Why?" Ryan smiled.

" One should know parts of their neighbors patterns. When they tend to make noise, take a shower due to the tap. Although I cannot make promises to when these things will happen just that they eventually will." He went back to shelving books.

" Very right. " She cleared her throat. " Well I'll try to keep quiet I know how annoying upstairs neighbors can be. Used to live in dorms."

" You sounds as if your proud of that. Interesting." he remarked. "Thank you for your concern but I doubt you can keep that empty promise. Your very impulsive, also an insomniac due to how bitten your nails are, the bags under your eyes and pupil size, you've been awake for about thirty two hours working on a project for work. An American baker moved to London to keep her family away. By the flour on your sleeve and for the angle of it splattered, you lost a huge client and you won't have the rent for this month with nothing to keep you occupied besides your work, your going to be in and out of this complex a lot and rearranging furniture or possibly moving out of it for at least a few weeks, hopefully you'll be outta here by that time, because your right," He stared her with his eyes intensely. "Upstairs neighbors are annoying ... oh and try not to stomp too hard on the left side of your living room, the floor creeks."

'What was this guy's problem? No- don't be that way Ryan, you just met him. Give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he's had worse up stairs neighbors and is cautious. Oh gosh now he's staring at you, say something.' "So, How did you know about my family?" She asked mentally kicking herself for asking that question but as Sherlock was opening his mouth, Ryan cut him off, " Never mind, doesn't matter. Just Wow, you pretty much have me figured out, don't you?" she grinned at him " Color me impressed." She laughed. Ryan spotted his violin pointing to it looking to change the subject. " So, do you play often?"

" Yes when I'm not working." He answered with a sigh looking back down to his books.

" I'd love to hear you play sometime but as you said its going to eventually happen. So I'll keep an ear out." Ryan turned to leave, looking back. " It really was nice to meet you Sherlock."

"Holmes, Sherlock Holmes." he stated plainly looking up at her. " You as well Ms. Clarke."

" Oh, it's Ryan, just Ryan and Mrs. Hudson can we talk later?" Mrs. Hudson nodded and shooed her off. She smiled waved to her land lady and left. Sherlock turned to Mrs. Hudson who was staring at him sternly.

" What is it?"

" Don't you scare her off, I need the money even though its not coming in now, it will. There's tea on the pot for you." Mrs. Hudson said leaving herself.

Sherlock rolling his eyes sighing and shut the door behind her. Going back to sorting his books he couldn't help but notice the dodge for his answer and the slight hitch in Miss Clarke's voice after he evaluated her. Normally he wouldn't give it a second thought seeing how often people usually tell him to piss off but she was kind...this made him think. ' Interesting.'

The Next few days flew by with work, Ryan took the long home to avoid emptying the last few remaining boxes which were always the hardest to empty. Ryan thought if she were to empty them she would be stuck here for good. Which she deemed silly but it scared her in a way, like it was too good to be true. She hasn't had a decent place to live in over two years, hopping from state to state and from dorm to dorm. Her mind slipped on to how far a few cases of beers can get you and then some.

After she had cleared her head and ready to tackle the last few ends of the unpacking process. About ten feet away from the door, Ryan stopped and felt around in her pockets for her keys to 221B, but nothing was there. She checked her purse but nothing there except her wallet and phone. With a sigh and thinking about where the last place she left them, a blondish man with a cane started to knock on her door and a taxi rolled up out coming Sherlock.

" Ah Ryan, " Sherlock called out to her and made it up a few steps to her. " Good Morning."

" Morning." She smiled and waved relived that he was in a better mood than the last time she had seen him. " You wouldn't so happen to have the keys yet would you? I seemed to left mine ...somewhere."

" Oh so you live with Sherlock too?" The blonde man asked curiously and pointing to Sherlock. Her diving back into her purse seeing if she missed something the first time.

" No, just same building." She extended her hand out to greet the man. " I'm Ryan by the way I live in 221A."

The blonde man stared at Ryan and seemed to lose his train of thought as she faced him . She stopped him in his tracks, the girl was about five foot three and had beach waved brunette hair that reached her shoulders. Clearing his throat he finally spoke up " J-John Watson, Pleased to meet you." and shook her hand for a few more seconds more than needed according to Sherlock as he cleared his throat in annoyance.

" So, this is a prime spot. Must be expensive." John asked and looking at the building.

" Mrs. Hudson the land lady is giving me a special deal. Owes me a favor. A few years back her husband got himself sentenced to death in Florida. I was able to help out." Sherlock explained knocking on the door.

" So you stopped her husband from being executed?" John asked.

" Oh no I ensured it." Sherlock said with confidence. Ryan widened her eyes and laughed.

" More to that story I'm guessing. What is it you exactly do for a living Sherlock?" Ryan questioned. Mrs. Hudson flew open the door before he could answer.

" Sherlock, " she opened her arms up to him as he greeted her with an embrace. " Oh Ryan too? You left your keys on the landing deary."

Ryan kissed her cheek and made her way inside to the side table in the landings hall. " Oh thank you, I was beginning to think I left them in the freezer again.." Ryan laughed and waved off to John and headed up stairs to her flat.

With a new potential neighbor, Ryan thought that it would be nice and also for the sake of her waist, to bring down slices of wedding cake. Philippe took half and her the other. Only problem is that it took up most of her fridge. So leaving her keys and purse up stairs Ryan went down stairs with plates of cake in hand. Seeing the door open, she knocked on the door frame with her foot. " Knock Knock, may I come in?" Sherlock waved her in not looking in her direction.

" Thought I'd bring a treat for everyone, almost fresh from an almost wedding." She joked, hesitant as to put the plates down on the kitchen table that was littered with what seemed to be a science experiment. Mrs. Hudson took some of the plates from her hands and smiled.

" Oh, how thoughtful Ryan, I would love a slice for later."

" I'll also bring you some strawberry compote as topping later on for it. Makes it ten times better." Ryan smiled. " So John what do you think?" she pointed around the flat.

" Oh yes, there is another room down the hall that way, if you'll be needing two rooms." Mrs. Hudson said offering John a plate.

" Of course we'll be needing two." John said plainly, taking the cake.

" Don't worry, there's all sorts around here." Mrs. Hudson was trying to save him face, " Mrs. Turner's next door's ... got married ones." she whispered as she set down a plate at Sherlock's desk.

Ryan coughed on her bite as she heard Mrs. Hudson make a judgement of someone she had just met. Ryan silently with a raised eyebrow asking if he was. John mouthed the word NO and Ryan smiled in confirmation and sat on the edge of one of the chairs.

" Oh Sherlock, the mess you've made." Mrs. Hudson said and moved some items to the side of the table and set down her slice. " Thank you for the treats dear."

" Oh your welcome. Anytime, well anytime I'm baking, I usually make enough for everyone." Ryan said looking up and down at Sherlock's book collection. Definitely very old books and some new mixed and matched. She wondered how he organizes them all.

" I looked you up on the internet last night." John stated from the arm chair.

Sherlock turned and with hands in pockets looking to John and to Ryan looking intently on his collection he said. " Anything Interesting."

" Found your website, 'The Science of Deduction'." John responded. Sherlock looking very proud he smirked.

" What did you think?" Sherlock's smile dimmed as he saw Johns reaction.

" You've got a website?" Ryan turned and asked. " Are you a detective?"

" He says that he could identify a software designer by his tie and an airline pilot by his left thumb."

" Well I wouldn't put it past him, he's already got the whole scoop on me and this is the second time meeting him." Ryan said with a smirk from what Sherlock could point out. Something wasn't right about the way her smile came across, it was subtle but to Sherlock it didn't seem as genuine as it were when they first met.' There it is again this uneasy feeling when she smiles. I wonder why.'

" What about these murder suicides Sherlock, Thought that'd be right up your street. Three exactly the same." Mrs. Hudson came in with a paper she found from the kitchen.

" Three what?" Ryan asked coming over to look over the paper with her land lady.

" These three people commit suicide in the same way." Mrs. Hudson pointed out. This scared Ryan, someone carlessly roaming the streets, murdering helpless people. Anyone could be carted off and murdered. These types of articles and stories always kept Ryan on her toes especially since she walked everywhere.

" Four," Sherlock wandered off towards the window. " There's been a fourth, there's something different this time."

" How do you figure?" Ryan said looking out the other side of the window to see a police car. Hearing steps behind her hastily walking up the stairs. It was a man slightly tall with dark graying hair.

" Where?" Sherlock demanded.

" Brixton, Lauriston Gardens." the man said and spotted Ryan.

" Hello... Would you like a slice?" Ryan offered and smiled hoping that someone will take it but he kindly declined and smiled.

" Whats new about this one? You wouldn't have come to get me if there wasn't something different." Sherlock said rolling his eyes again.

" You know how they never leave notes? This one did, will you come?" the man said.

"Whose on forensics?" Sherlock looked to Ryan up and down to see if she might come in handy as his assistant for this case. 'Most likely not, she looks to be the researcher type, she couldn't keep her eyes off of his books the moment she walked in and most likely on this case there was a body. With her almost natural squared stance she has some kind of stomach for but then again Mrs. Hudson did say not to scare her off. She may come in handy sometime in the future.'

" Anderson,"

" Anderson won't work with me." then his gaze went to John, a military man who looked like he's dealt with the dead on more than one occasion. Sherlock may as well test him out.

" Well he won't be your assistant." The man spat.

" I need an assistant." Sherlock spat right back. " I won't come in a police car. I'll be right behind."

"Thank you." the man said nodding his head to us and taking his leave. It was awkwardly silent for a moment until Sherlock's mouth formed the perfect smirk and he burst with excitement.

" Four serial suicides and now a note. Ah its Christmas." he exclaimed.

" Four possibly innocent people are dead and you think its Christmas?" Ryan questioned. Sherlock looked up from his laptop and smirked at the girl.

" In my business it is. Mrs. Hudson I'll be late might need some food." he sauntered off into the kitchen to grabbed a bite of cake and put on his coat.

" I'm your landlady, dear not your housekeeper." Mrs. Hudson gently reminded him.

" Something cold will do. Ryan, John make yourselves cups of tea, this cake is going to need them, make your self at home."

And like that he was gone. Ryan took in a deep breath and started to head for the door as well. " Well it was very nice to meet you John. Don't be a stranger."

" I don't know what he's talking about this cake is amazing." John exclaimed with a half bite in his mouth.

" Thank you, I put a bit more vanilla extract in the mix, gives it extra flavor." She smiled crossing her arms.

" You made this?" He questioned.

" Yes, I work at a Memory Lane Bakery." she answered.

" Baker of Baker street." He laughed at his own joke. "Has a nice ring to it."

" Oh god," She just realized. " I am the baker of Baker street aren't I?"

" At least your a damn good baker." he complimented.

She waved off to John and headed off upstairs only to find Sherlock trailing behind her.

" Oh I thought you left, is everything okay?" Ryan asked looking concerned.

" I'm going to be in late and while I was on my way out I remembered that I don't have any keys quite yet. May I borrow yours for the time being?" He asked.

" Oh yeah sure I'm not planning on going anywhere tonight." she turned the knob and it was no good. Ryan hissed in some air and sighed "I've seemed to lock myself out. I'm having quite the day." She laughed slightly embarrassed pushing her hair behind her ears. " May I use your fire escape? Thankfully I know I left my window open. "

" Oh yes. Go right ahead." Sherlock said putting his hands in his pockets ready to wait.

" Thanks, I'll only be a moment." she said dashing down the stairs and back into Sherlock's seeing John reading the newspaper. She didn't pay him any mind, opened and hopped out of their window and up and onto her veranda and into her flat.

Sherlock checked the time on his phone, hearing her on the other side of the door banging and falling to the ground, possibly going to bruise. 'I'll have to ask her later how it develops. Cadavers only gave me so much information.'

The door opened with Ryan slightly out of breath and with keys in hand she dangled them for Sherlock.

" Oh thank you." he said taking them from her. " I'll have them back to you by tonight if you don't mind."

" Not at all, keep it. I actually have duplicates for the down stairs." Ryan said looking into his eyes for the first time being so close. A light steel blue and cheeks that she thought could cut glass. What she didn't notice was that he also observed her heart-shaped face and light grey bluish eyes over looking his own.

" Thank you." he said wondering if she lost her keys often enough to make duplicates.

" So you never said, what do you do for a living Sherlock?"

" What do you think?" He asked with a slight smirk on his face.

This caught her off guard and thought for a second he was flirting, she passed it off and answered him. " I would say detective but something tells me that your going to tell me something different..."

" I'm a consulting detective I get called in when the police are out of their depth."

" I would have never guessed that." She confessed.

" I would think not, I invented the profession." he said pride in his voice.

She nodded her head in approval and smiled truthfully, " Nice," They stood there in the hall for a few more moments in silence when Ryan broke the ice. "Well then I'd better be going but good luck on your investigation." she said cheerfully and edged to close the door not sure how to end the conversation.

Showing her a false grin he headed down stairs as she closed the door leaning against the back of it closing her eyes exhausted. She looked to her fridge and slid down the wood in sadness realizing that she still has a lot of cake to pawn off on everyone.

Ryan stood and grabbed her phone and called the bakery.

" Ryan my dear, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Philippe said with his usual grandeur.

" I'm taking the Sanchez cake back its too much for me to keep. We can hand out bite sizes out to people on the streets for publicity." she said running her hand though her hair.

" You have a gift for sales my dear! I will wait for your glorious presence to grace me once more."

" There's a potentially single woman who thinks your talking to your 'daughter' in the shop right now isn't there." Ryan said bluntly.

She heard him cough and whisper in to the phone, " Yes and don't blow it for me when you get down here."

"I'll try" Ryan joked, "Good Bye Philippe." and she hung up.

Author note: Hello and Welcome to My first ever Sherlock story! I worked so hard on this for so long, wracking my brain as to if I should either keep this to myself or let you lovelies read it. So I would like to know what your thoughts are, good or bad. Of course this being the first chapter and its more of a slight introduction to Ms. Ryan Clarke. So please comment if you wish to do so.


	2. Misleadings

On her way home from the bakery for the second time that day, the sun was setting as a black car rolled past her and stopped. Rolling down the window was a young woman with dark brown hair.

" Hello, could you get in the car please." she said politely.

Ryan stopped walking realizing that the woman was talking to her. " What's that now?"

" Could you get in the car please." she now said with a happy expression.

"Oh, No thank you." Ryan said starting to walk at a quicker pace. The black car started to roll along side of her. Making Ryan feel uncomfortable she headed down a short alleyway, taking out her phone to call the police. Looking back at the car stop, she saw a man get out of the front seat and start to head towards her quickening his steps.

" Leave me alone!" she called out to him as she made her way out to another main street. Her mind and heart raced as she ran, across the street she saw a ladder going up a fire escape and started to make her way up trying to make it as difficult as possible for the man still in pursue of her. Once she reached the third floor landing, seeing the man start to climb up, she brought her phone to her ear waiting for the operator. Ryan's phone was ripped from her hand as mouth was covered by a strong figure who came through a window dragging her though the building holding her arms behind her and leading her though the entrance of the building and to the same black car that was coming down the road. Ryan struggled, kicked and screamed if she could but it was only coming out muffles.

" Get off of me! I said NO! Please!" Ryan pleaded as the man let her speak, forcing her into the vehicle. The door was shut in her face and she started to bang on the window calling out for help. A hand gripped her shoulder as she spun around in fear she hit the figure behind her.

" OoF!" it sounded. Ryan gasped when she realized that she smacked John from earlier.

" J- John?! John? what are you doing here? " she started but looked around. They were in a nice car, a very nice car. The dark haired woman was smiling and texting on her blackberry.

" Everything is alright.." He tried to calm Ryan down. " I think."

" Seat belts please." The woman said cheerfully.

Readjusting in her seat cautiously buckling her seat belt she leaned in towards John and whispered " Whats going on?"

" Frankly I have no idea. I was on my way home and the phone rang in a telle box and now I'm here with Anthea." He said.

" Do you know each other?" She asked turning towards the woman wiping the stray tears from her eyes.

" Nope. " she said with a pop and went back to texting on her blackberry, the woman reached up toward the driver and he handed her Ryan's phone thus giving Ryan's phone back to her. They sat in silence most of the way there. Ryan's stress levels increase as the minutes past. She thought as to why John and her were being kidnapped. Then she thought back to the murder suicides happening around town. Ryan staying stoic, gripping her phone, just waiting to see where they were taking them but internally she was screaming for help. John sensed how nervous she was and placed a hand on her knee for comfort. Giving her some reassurance that everything is going to be okay... hopefully.

As the car came to a stop in a broken down warehouse that seemed to take forever to get to. Ryan can smell the salt in the air, so perhaps somewhere by the ocean she thought as John and her got out of the car. The car's headlights were fixated on a tall man in a business suit with an umbrella. There were two chairs in front of him.

" Have a seat Ms. Clarke and John." the man said pointing to the chairs with his umbrella.

" I'd rather stand, thank you. " Ryan said trying to size him up to guess his intentions.

"You know I've got a phone, Its very clever and all that but uh, you could just phone me... on my phone." John said as he hobbled over on his cane towards the man. Ryan kept slightly behind.

" When one is avoiding the attention of Sherlock Holmes, one learns to be discreet, hence this place. The leg must be hurting you. Sit down."

" I don't want to sit down." John snapped back at him.

It seemed to offend the man and he smiled " You don't seem very afraid, John. As for you Ms. Clarke you seem nervous, giving my men quite a work out."

" Oh yeah of course, Four murder suicides and a killer on the loose for kidnapping and killing innocent people on the street. Yes you could say that I'm nervous." Ryan nodded.

" You think I'm the killer?" he rebutted with a laugh.

" Could be."

" Smart girl, trusting no one." he laughed " But then again there's Mr. Watson here, which of who you only met today."

"True but if there's any funny business, I can always take his cane and beat you both with it." She said crossing her arms with a mocking smile.

" How brave of you." he smirked at her.

" Well besides threats of anyone doing anything you sir don't seem very frightening." John said eyeing the man. The man laughed out loud and turned towards John yet again.

" Oh yes, and the bravery of the soldier. Bravery is by far the kindest word of stupidity don't you think?"

" Well that's rude." Ryan said under her breath as John stared a hole into the mans face with anger.

" What are your connections to Sherlock Holmes?"

John spoke up first. " I don't have one. I barely know him. I met him ... today.

" A few weeks ago for me." Ryan added.

" Well besides Ms. Clarke here, John you since this morning, you've moved in with him and now your solving crimes together. Might we expect a happy announcement by the end of the week?"

" Well if your so interested in him maybe we should introduce you?" Ryan snapped back.

" Trust me my dear we have met before you were even a thought." he smirked.

" Who are you? Really who are you?" John asked.

" An interested party." he said plainly.

" An interested party in Sherlock. Why? I'm guessing your not friends."

" You've met him. How many friends do you imagine he has? I'm the closest thing to a friend Sherlock Holmes is capable of having."

" and whats that"

" An enemy. In his mind certainly. If you were to ask him, he's probably say his archenemy. He does love to be dramatic."

" Well thank god your above all that." John said sarcastically.

Just at that moment both of their phones chirped with a message. Ryan silenced her phone in her jacket pocket and continued to cross her arms. No use in interrupting a potential killer, sassing him was pushing it enough for her. John on the other hand checked his phone.

" Hope I'm not distracting you. Ms. Clarke was kind enough to silence her phone."

" Not distracting me at all." John said cheerfully and put his phone away.

" Do you both plan to continue your association with Sherlock Holmes?"

" I could be wrong, but I think that its none of your business."

" It could be" the man said eyeing John.

" It really couldn't."

" If you do move into and in your case remain living in , um.. 221 Baker st. I would be happy to pay you a meaningful sum of money on a regular basis to .. ease your way's." he said happily.

" In exchange for what?" John questioned.

" Information. Nothing Indiscreet, nothing you'd feel uncomfortable with. Just tell me what he's up to...I worry about him, constantly."

" Aww that's nice." Ryan said with a sarcastic motherly tone.

" But I would prefer for various reasons that my concern go unmentioned. We have what you might call a difficult relationship. One that you are familiar with your self Ms. Clarke with your brothers."

This caught Ryan's attention, ' Who is this man? First Sherlock and now him. Something isn't right here.' she thought. Her fear was racing up inside of her and as a thousand thoughts raced through her head, John and her phone buzzed again. She peered at her phone a bit but still keeping it in her pocket.

_'If inconvenient, come anyway, SH'_

" I don't mean to interrupt but may I take that?" Ryan said pulling out her phone and pointing to the car.

" Oh yes by all means, we'll be in touch." He said with a smile.

Walking back to the car Ryan thought,_ 'Forget potential killer this man is beyond just a murderer he's working on a WAY different level and if he knows about Brad and Collin, he must know about my father.'_ She checked her phone at the message._ ' Why does the past always catch up to me?'_

She reached the car and dialed the number who texted her.

" I take it that SH is for Sherlock." she said while she heard the other line pick up.

" Yes it is," she heard his voice on the other end.

" How did you get my number?" she asked.

" Not important. I need your help." He said blankly.

" What do you need help with?" she asked. turning to see John hobble over.

" Can't discuss it over the phone, just come to 221B." he said quickly and hung up on her.

" Rude." she sighed and rubbed her temples as she saw John walk over to her. " Sorry about that John I just had to get away from that guy." Ryan said rubbing Johns arm. " What did you say?"

" I declined his offer, what happened back there? Are you really just a baker cause if not just let it all out now before we have to go through something like this again with another potentially dangerous person." John looked at her seriously.

"Yes, I am just a baker John," she reassured " Question though, you've barely known Sherlock and me a day. How can you be so loyal?" she asked. Seeing his face turn sour, she started again. " Not that there's nothing wrong with that, its just not a lot of people have that quality."

" Well the military and medical school definitely teach you a thing or two about manners." he ensured. " What was that he said about you though. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah everything is fine, from what he said I do have a past but nothing that will disturb your life in anyway." she said quickly. " Look, I really just want to get into the car and go home and sleep, because today has been a very strange up to this point and I would just like to forget it." She gestured.

" I've come to take you home." Anthea said still looking down at her phone.

" Thank you, are you coming John?" Ryan questioned holding out her hand for him to take.

John stood there and breathed out a heavy sigh. Ryan seemed to be telling the truth and by her trembling hand she was scared. Not stressed but scared of something. John realized that she wasn't going to tell him easily, but all he could do is be there for her. Even though they had only met a few hours ago he felt a sense of protection for her. He grabbed her hand and they went to the car. After stopping at John's last flat, he checked his messages when he got into the car again.

" Did he text you too?" Ryan said as she rubbed her face tiredly.

" Yeah his last text said that it could be dangerous. Did you get the same?" John questioned.

" No, just to come to 221B. Called him though, said he needed help but he didn't say." Ryan said. " I'm starting to see a pattern with him but it's hard to tell... are you sure you want to live there.. with him?"

" Kind of don't really have a choice, pension is drying up. Plus you live above us. So look who's talking." He laughed.

" He moved in after I got there, I'm not moving anywhere if I don't have to. I lived in a two bedroom one bath with seven other people with no air conditioning I might add, I think I can handle you and Sherlock." Ryan said proudly. Anthea giggled at this never looking up from her phone.

" Seven people?!" John exclaimed. "Was that just before you lived in here?"

" No it was back in the states, just outta high school and off on my own." she smiled. " I moved here because... I wasn't having the best of luck." Ryan's smile faded thinking back.

" How so?" John asked carefully.

Ryan took in a deep breath and let it out. " A story for another time John. A story for another time." her eyes looked toward Anthea. " Plus she's telling her boss everything."

" W-what?" he looked toward the woman and sighed in defeat. " Can you at least not tell him where we went?"

Anthea glanced to John and said "Sure" sweetly.

A few moments went by and he sighed again. " Your telling him right now aren't you?"

" Yeah." she confessed and went back glued to her phone.

Ryan laughed at her response and patted Johns leg to help comfort him.

Back at 221 Baker St. Ryan waved to Anthea and waited for John to join her. She searched her pockets and realized that she gave her main key to Sherlock and forgot to pack the other set. She knocked on the door and waited for Mrs. Hudson. " Sorry John, I forgot my key again." she sighed.

" It's okay as long as it doesn't become habit." John said waiting with her.

The two walk into 221B witnessing Sherlock laying on the couch clutching his arm and breathing in and exhaling a large breath of air.

" What are you doing?" John asked worried. Sherlock exposed his arm and showed them three nude colored patches.

" Nicotine patch, helps me think. Impossible to sustain a smoking habit in London these days. Bad News for brain work. Ryan your key is on my desk."

"Thanks so you won't be needing it?" She asked as he shook his head. "Well anyway good news for breathing, seems like your fine. I'm out." Ryan quickly said grabbing her key from the desk and turned to leave. John caught her by the arm, her body sinking in defeat.

" Oh No no no no no you don't." John said and turned her back around escorting her inside their flat.

" Breathing!" Sherlock exclaimed. " Breathing is boring." Sherlock remained to lay on the couch with his hands together as John stood in front of him waiting.

" You asked us to come, I'm assuming its important." John reminded him as Ryan sat down on the arm of one of the chairs uneasy.

" Oh yes, Ryan. May I borrow your phone?" he asked turning his head towards her. "My phone?" She said feeling it in her pocket.

" Yes, don't want to use mine. Always a chance the number will be recognized. Its on the website." he said blankly.

Ryan took out her phone and walked towards him, putting it in his hand. " Sure, but doesn't Mrs. Hudson have a phone too? We were on the other side of London so if you just neede-"

" She's down stairs, tried shouting but she didn't hear me."

" Is that all?!" John asked in anger, hobbling towards the chair he was in earlier.

" There was no rush." Sherlock explained holding her phone between his palms.

" I hope this is about the case." John said.

" Her case, her suitcase obviously. The murderer took her suitcase, first big mistake." Sherlock said still holding her phone between his hands. " There's no other way. We'll have to risk it... Ryan. On my desk, there's a number. I want you to send a text." he extended his arm with her phone to her.

" Whoa, hold up there, risk what exactly?" Ryan questioned. Looking down at him taking her phone back holding it to her chest. " If your going to have me sending texts to some kind of psycho, I'm out." she confessed strongly.

" No, not at all. Just send it." He said staring dead set into her eyes. " Please."

Ryan and Sherlock stared at each other for a few moments more his sharp eyes looking her over to see any resistance and there it was, as she sighed deeply turning and heading toward his desk. ' Interesting' he thought. ' I'm clearly annoying her but she's doing as I ask. Why?'

She shuffled his papers about to find a note with a woman's name and number. 'Jennifer Wilson'. Ryan seemed it best not to question who and what their relationship was and to just go with it. As Ryan cleared her throat thinking about if this woman could be an ex or being stalked by him, Sherlock noticed how long she was taking and that her hands were shaking.

" Whats wrong with you two?" Sherlock asked also noticing John uneasy in the chair.

" Nothing," she covered and entered the number into her phone "We ran into one of your so called 'friends' on my way home, not by choice I might add."

" A friend?" Sherlock questioned.

" An enemy." John clarified.

" Oh... Which one?" Sherlock asked seemingly relieved.

" He called himself your 'archenemy'," Ryan air quoted. " I call him 'Rude' if you ask me."

Sherlock's head snaked in Ryan's direction and looked her up and down, her hands and forearms were close to her chest with her cell and the number when she typed. She was startled, something that Sherlock would keep a mental note of. "Did he offer you money to spy on me?"

" Yes, but I didn't take it." John said with a steady tone.

"Ryan?" Sherlock kept his gaze on her.

" Sort of ran away from the situation, so didn't get a chance to say." she answered slightly embarrassed.

" Good, " Sherlock turned back. " We could split the fee... John do think it through next time." he scolded.

" Who is he by the way? You know before I do your bidding." Ryan joked holding out her phone.

" The most dangerous man you've ever met... and not my problem right now." he said in a hurry. " Now quickly I want you to write these EXACT words. ' What happened at Lauriston Gardens? I must have blacked out? 22 Northumberland Street, Please come.' "

Ryan stopped texting and looked up. " You blacked out somewhere?" she questioned with a smirk. " You don't seem like the partying type."

" What? No!" Sherlock became impatient, got off the couch striding to her looking over her shoulder to see how much she had typed. " Just type and send it." Ryan was surprised by how close he was and could feel his breath on her head and neck. " Quickly please."

Ryan moved away from him and scoffed. " Well if you weren't so close I could focus, now do you spell Lauriston like Laurie with an I and a ston at that the end?" he sighed deeply seemingly annoyed. " I'm not from around here if you care to remember."

" Oh its obvious," He insulted. " And yes you do spell it that way also add in one of those obnoxious smiling faces at the end of it."

She had typed the rest and sent the message. " There done." Showing him that the message had been sent. " Happy now?" she said perturbed. Although he didn't answer her and retrieved a pink suitcase from his kitchen. " Oh the poor girl, you are stalking her aren't you?"

" Stalking? No. This is evidence." Sherlock flung open the case and waited in front of it patiently. John sat wide eyed as it dawned on him.

" That's... the pink lady's case. That's Jennifer Wilson's case."

" Yes obviously." Sherlock sat. " Oh, perhaps I should mention, I didn't kill her."

" Wait, whats going on?" Ryan said confused. " Did I just text a dead woman's phone?"

" Well, John from the text that Ryan just sent and the fact that I have her case is a perfectly logical assumption."

" Do most people assume you're the murderer?" John questioned.

" Now and then, yes." He said proudly and sat up on the backing of his chair. "Now the killer must have driven her to Lauriston Gardens. He could only keep her case by accident if it was in the car. Nobody could be seen with this case without drawing attention to themselves, particularly a man, which is statistically more likely. So obviously he'd feel compelled to get rid of it." he thought out loud. " But the moment he thought he still had it wouldn't have taken him more than five minutes to realize his mistake." He turned to John. " I checked every back street wide enough for a car five minutes from Lauriston Gardens and anywhere you could dispose of a bulky object without being observed. Took me less than an hour to find the right skip."

" Pink, you got all of that because you realized the case would be pink?"

" Sherlock?" Ryan said with a questionable smile. He ignored her.

" Well it had to be pink obviously." Sherlock continued.

" Why didn't I think of that?" John questioned himself but Sherlock answered him.

" Because your an idiot." John looked at him with amazement. Sherlock rolled his eyes and hopped up to sit in the chair normally. " No, no no, don't be like that. Practically everyone is."

" What is so special about the case?" Ryan asked feeling uneasy.

" This is the victim's suitcase, are you not following along? " Sherlock eyed her. " Now, look, do you see what's missing?"

" From the case? How could I?" John said bitterly still a bit upset from being called an idiot.

" Her phone." Sherlock helped. " Her phone, wheres her phone? You know she had one, there's her number there Ryan just texted it." Ryan gripped her phone nervously intently listening to Sherlock's deductions. Hoping that there's not someone on the other end of that line. 'They barely know each other, he wouldn't have her contact a dangerous serial killer.. would he?' she thought.

" Maybe she left it at home." John defended.

" She has a string of lovers and she's careful about it. She'd never leave her phone at home." Sherlock said calmly looking over the case.

" Oh, I well- W-Why did Ryan just send that text?" John questioned pointing to her.

" That's my question, Why did I Sherlock?" Ryan said raising an eyebrow in annoyance, feeling that she will not like the answer.

" Well, the question is, where is her phone now?" Sherlock stated answering a question with yet another question.

" The murderer-" Ryan feared. "Sherlock, please tell me you didn't have me text a murderer."

Sherlock was clearly avoiding the her questions. " Maybe she left it when she left her case. Maybe he took it from her for some reason. Either way, the balance of probability is the murderer has her phone."

" Unbelievable.." Ryan whispered to herself. _'I've barely known the guy and he lies to me.' _

" You wouldn't have done it, we had to find out one way or another if the killer had the phone." Sherlock reasoned.

"And in that process you gave my number to a serial KILLER! John was right here the whole time but you insisted that I do it.. Why?!" she said with anger in her voice. He didn't have an answer he just stared at her, notating her reaction. Just in the moment her phone rang startling her. She yelped and threw it in the air towards Sherlock who swiftly caught it.

"Anyone who had found that phone would just ignore a text like that, but the murderer... would panic." Sherlock said shutting the pink case rushing up to fling on his jacket.

" You know what I'm so done with this day. I'm outta here, good luck with your stupid case." she said arms up in defeat and dashed out and down stairs. The silence was heavy after that, only broken by Sherlock clearing his throat while tying his scarf thinking of her reactions. _' Everyone's the same.'_ He concluded to himself.

" Knew it wouldn't be long until she blew her top." He said factually "Well then back to the case. Now John, as I was saying, the killer had made a dire mistake. He- "

Sherlock saw John hobble towards the window to see Ryan taking in deep breaths and beginning to wander the streets. " She's probably not going to forgive you for that."

" That was just an social experiment. No use in worrying about her she's fine." he confided. " Anyways, back to the case."

" W-wait a minute, this was just an experiment to you? She was your experiment?" John asked in a huff. " She's a person Sherlock for godsakes and you annoyed her to the point where she left. We were kidnapped today if you care of not. Ryan got the worse of it she ran for her life, but they still forced her into the car."

" And there is a killer on the loose and we are on the case right now," Sherlock raised his voice. " Can we please get back to work?" John stared at him and looked out the window again to see the London night. Wondering if Ryan will be alright. Sherlock saw the worry in his eye and sighed deeply. " Fine next time I see her I'll apologize, now will you come on?"

" Yes, but do it properly. Consisting of the words. ' I'm Sorry'. " John said strictly, he hobbled over to retrieve his coat.

" UHH ! 'Sorry' is just so boring." Sherlock trailed on rushing downstairs with the good doctor behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

Authors Note: SO yeah that just happened... ALSO Thank you all SO much for all of the Follow's and Favorites. I didn't think that it would be taken so well so quickly, haha! I received a few very helpful reviews and I hope I can make this into something awesome for everyone who's interested. So please share with me your views if you wish. I would love to hear what you have to say. :D

~Snowy


	3. Forgiveness

" Why did I leave?" Ryan whispered to herself folding her arms and leaning her head in them over the bar she stumbled into by mistake. _' Welp, guess now's a better time than any to actually find out where I am.'_ She raised her head and hand up to motion to the bartender pushing the empty bottle of Corona away from her.

" Excuse me? I'm new to this part of town, you wouldn't so happen know what part I'm in?" she asked kindly.

" Your in Lauriston Gardens dear." the bartender answered her with a smile. He was an older man with graying hair.

" Of course I am." She moaned and dug her head deeper into her arms.

" Whats got you down sweetheart?" he said popping the cap off another beer for her. " Tell Angelo your troubles that is what bartenders are for."

Ryan looked up from her arms a bit resting her head now in her palm. " Thank you for that." she pointed to the beer and took it gladly. " Angelo was it? I'm Ryan." She introduced herself. "It seems like I have too many problems lately... are you sure you want to hear them?"

" Of course, Of course my dear." he said with a large smile crossing his arms and leaning in to listen to her. " Start from the beginning."

She took a swig from her bottle and shook her head. " Whoa! Too far back," she laughed. " Why not from this morning." setting the bottle down she started. " I went to the bakery where I work at 4 in the morning to scrap off and re-frost over 250 cupcakes from a wedding that fell though a few days back, so I finally go home to realize that I forgot my keys but then I run into my down stairs neighbor and the new tenant who's looking the place over."

" So they let you in?" Angelo said gesturing his hands intrigued with her story.

" No our land lady let us in but he's some big shot private eye detective who works for the police or.. No he works by himself but he works with the Police...Anyway he barely knows me and asks me for my key to get back in after his investigation, so I give it to him. Out of the kindness of my heart, he asks to borrow, I give." she said sighing. " But then later on after some... strange stuff that I'm not even sure I should talk about. He lies to my face and basically uses me like a pawn in his stupid game."

" Well, that's not a very gentlemanly thing to do." Angelo said leaning back starting to wipe down the counter.

" I know right! I've been so trusting of people since I've moved here. This city was going to be a new start for me. To start trusting people...trusting myself... I know I shouldn't be counting strikes but its still frustrating when you think that you could give your trust to someone but then they kick you in the shin you know?" She said sadly picking at the paper around the bottle. " I feel like I shouldn't have been so mean to him about it, he was only doing his job."

" Maybe he deserved it, you know some people are brought up to be knocked down a peg or two?" He laughed making Ryan crack a smile. "And I don't know about this Detective guy but you can always trust me. Real gentlemen don't lie." Angelo said putting his hand over his heart.

" Aww thanks Angelo, Your too kind." she said smiling at the man. " You could teach Sherlock a thing or two." She laughed and took another swig.

" Sherlock Holmes?" Angelo questioned.

" ... Yesss." Ryan answered cautiously, just as Angelo was going to say something the door to the restaurant opened. " Oh no." she said as she saw his silhouette at the door. Ryan dug her head back in to her arms once more. " No, no, no, no,no,no." she looked up to see where they were.

" Oh, Ryan!" John noticing her as she popped her head up and smiled towards them. John pointed to a roundish table at the front of the restaurant indicating her to sit with them.

" Oh yeah be right there!" She said happily to them, turning to Angelo whispering. " Why did I say that?! I'm an idiot!"

" It seems like I can be of no help to you here my dear. Sherlock is one of my dearest friends. He helped me out of a bind a few years back." Angelo confessed with a worried look on his face about what his new friend thought of him now as he saw her face pout. " But if you need me to spit in his food I will."

"Your too sweet on me, But it's okay." she said matter of factually. " I'm 26, and a refined young woman of the world... and can spit into his food myself when he's not looking." She joked. Got up and walked over to their table. John got out and let her in the middle of the two of them.

" John... Sherlock." Ryan greeted them with no emotion as she made herself comfortable in the booth.

" Ms. Clarke..." Sherlock said back with the same drone. An awkward silence descended upon the table, until Angelo came by with a candle for them.

"Makes it more romantic." He told them, winking towards Ryan, making her cheeks flush._ 'Oh god I need another drink, hopefully John doesn't leave me here with him alone to try to have us make up. ' Ryan thought. ' I don't think I've cooled off enough to talk to him about it quite yet.' _

John looked to Sherlock and moved his eyes in Ryan's direction to remind him of his promise he made. Sherlock shook his head slightly, 'Not now'. John's eyes and lips narrowed as he moving his head to jolt towards her more. Sherlock stared at John with disdain.

John cleared his throat and got up from the table. " Well I need to find a restroom and look over their wine listing, I'll be right back.. Don't rip each others eyes out while I'm gone." and with that he left for the back of the restaurant.

The two of them were alone._' Thanks John, knew I could count on you.'_ Ryan thought sighing and smiling to herself. _' Man, you think you know a guy when you've been taken off the streets together.'_

Sherlock continued to look out the window and only noticed Ryan's crooked smile when she started to stroke the neck of her bottle with her thumb. 'Might as well get it over with. ' they both thought.

" Well I - " she started as he replied " I noticed you-" they both stopped as they were talking over one another.

" You first." said Sherlock letting her have the first word, maybe he didn't have to apologize if she was going to forgive him regardless as some people have done in the past, was his mentality.

" Thanks, I didn't expect to see you two in here." She said turning her head towards him.

" This is a fairly quiet place and I know the Owner, helped him off a triple murder charge a few years back." Sherlock said watching her eyes expand and seeing her intrigue. She was interested but due to recent events she was trying not to give much away.

" How gallant of you." Ryan said taking a swig off her beer. Sherlock looked at her more closely. '_She is short for her build, I'd say around five four. Re-dyed her hair three to four times to get the right consistency of a light tan brown in her highlighted wavy hair. She's anxious by the way her dominate foot is bouncing at a quick rate from the floor but shes being courteous enough as not to hit the table with her knee, but still a very annoying trait. Her lips are slightly chapped from the cold, but they have been treated within the last half hour by the residue off of her beer. Also that this is not her first drink of the night. She's been taking her time with the drink so she doesn't do it often.' _

" Ryan," He started to get her attention. He moved his body to face her properly to signify that he was being straight forward with her. " I wanted to apologize for earlier. It was wrong of me to lie to you." He said rapidly. Ryan tilted her head to the side and laughed.

" Oh, I'm sure you mean't that too?" She spat, noticing that the statement wasn't the nicest. "Sorry that came out wrong, your apology just didn't sound sincere that's all."

" What do you want me to say?" Sherlock said with slight surprise at her attitude.

" Look, I think I know that you had your reasons for having me send that text but you have to understand that I didn't want anything to do with your case. That's why I didn't want to get involved with serial killers and mystery men picking me up in strange cars. So when you had me send that text it was careless, you forced me to be involved."

" I had no intention- " he started to explain.

" But you did. You knew what you were doing, don't play dumb." she said sternly looking him in the eye. " I know that it this your job and I shouldn't have been so hard on you about it. But we have to live with one another in the same building and bickering gets us nowhere." She said pushing her now half empty bottle in the middle of the table. " So just don't let it happen again or I'll smack you into next Tuesday." she joked.

" So you forgive me?" Sherlock questioned blankly.

" Yes I forgive you, I vented and got what I needed to say off my chest. Oh and Sherlock..." She leaned in close to him. " Don't mistake my kindness for weakness again." The two locked eyes for a moment, she could feel something in the air. Also feeling her cheeks begin to redden, she got up from the booth separating the connection.

"I'm heading home. See you around, tell John bye for me." she said as she waved off and left.

Sherlock wasn't prepared for her to be so close his face. Her eyes held an intensity that intrigued him, he wanted to have a closer look at her iris and see how much melanin was in the pigmentation that gave them that color. It was a cross between a teal blue and a light grey but Sherlock wanted to be sure. When she turned from him he got the hint of honey and almond, but as soon as the scent hit him, the source was gone.

John came back out of the restroom and sat down across from Sherlock. " Where's Ryan going now? Did you two make up?" he asked situating himself.

" Yes, now shut up and let me look out the window." Sherlock said annoyed. " In case you forgot we are here on a case... order what you like we might be here for a while."

John thumbed through the menu a bit and smiled that at least the two were civil with one another. A few more moments went by and John set the menu down as a thought came to him.

" People don't have archenemies." John stated. Sherlock barely paying attention turned and furrowed his brow.

" What?" he said surprised.

" In real life. There are no archenemies in real life, doesn't happen."

" Doesn't it? Sounds a bit dull. " Sherlock said never looking away from the window.

" So who did Ryan and I meet today?" John asked again

" What do real people have, then, in their real lives?" Sherlock answered a question with another question slightly cocking his head to the side.

" Friends? People they know, people they like, people they don't like. Girlfriends, boyfriends."

" Well, as I was saying, dull." Sherlock said returning his eyes out the glass.

" You don't have a girlfriend, then?"

" Girlfriend? No, not really my area." he said trailing his sentence, trying not to think about the honey almond scented girl who was not only inches to his face just a few moments before John had shone. He tried not to think of her while he was on the case. Her words nudged him, most people he forgets then at a blink of an eye. With her, he couldn't get her voice out of his head. _' Don't mistake my kindness for weakness'_. He blinked his eyes to try to reset his mind to focus on the mission at hand.

" Oh, right." John asked looking his potential roommate over. " Boyfriend then... which is fine."

" I know its fine." Sherlock said looking at John squirm in his words.

" So do you have a boyfriend then?" John finally came out and asked.

" No."

"Right, okay. Your unattached just like me, good." John cleared his throat and started to look over the menu again.

" She's not into you, you know." Sherlock said bluntly waiting for John to reply.

" What? Sorry? what was that?" John said confused.

" Ryan, She's not into you like you are to her." Sherlock stated again.

"Why's that for you to decide?" John defended. " You hardly know her."

Sherlock scoffed " Please, the way she looks at you and the way her stance is, it's a little more comfortable than most around you, saying that she must have come from a military background as well and as at least 2 brothers. She mimics your stance when you stand still, your feet are still programmed to stand a certain way as you had to do in training, her dominating foot does the same unconsciously. She was never in the military or any service so that means that she was brought up that way. Mimicking her brothers."

"How do you know that she has two?" John asked putting down the menu.

" The younger sibling always annoys the oldest in some way to get booted from a room in one way or another. She has two brothers very close together in age. As they were learning their way through schooling, she mimicked one and once one booted her out she followed the other." Sherlock explained. " The movement has to be deep seeded enough so she grew up with her brothers going through training with her at a young age. "

" So I remind her of her older brother's?" John questioned.

" Most likely." Sherlock said nodding his head. " If not ask her on a date. I bet you she picks a coffee shop close by."

" Why a coffee shop?"

" Where else do you take people when you reject them nicely?" Sherlock stated." Now look across the way, taxi stopped."

John turned as well and noticed a man looking through the back of the taxi straight at them.

Turning the corner Ryan saw the glint of the door handle from 221 Baker st and she started to quicken her step at the thought of her blankets and mattress.

" Oh sweet baby cakes here I come." Ryan said under her breath to herself. To feel the warmth of her apartment and to finally lay down for the day also to put all of this behind her. When she got to the door she searched her purse for her keys.

" Uh hem" a man's voice said from behind Ryan, making her jump and turn.

" Oh jeez," Ryan saw that it was the man from before. " Did you have to scare me like that?"

He chuckled and smiled. " My dearest apologies Ms. Clarke, I certainly had no intentions of startling you." He took a step back and opened the car door from behind him waiting. Ryan sighed and moaned.

" You can't be serious? I just got home and you want to kidnap me... again."

" I wouldn't call it kidnapping, you aren't a child and this is by your own free will. We do have business to discuss now, if you'd like to join me." He said with a viciously sweet smile.

Ryan thought about it a moment, turned away from him and continued to search for her keys. She found them and opened the door, she waited.

" So that is your decision then Ms. Clarke?" He said shutting the door to the car.

" Yes, and I would like to know how you like your tea."

" I don't seem to follow." he said.

" I'm inviting you for tea, Now come on, upstairs." she said starting up them. The man seemed a bit uncomfortable and cleared his throat. He waved to the driver and walked into the complex shutting the door behind him. The two made it to her flat, she took off her shoes and placed them by the door and headed into her kitchen and turned on the kettle.

" So I take my tea with a little bit of milk and two sugars. You?"

" No thanks none for me, This was only going to be a short conversation." He said looking a bit uncomfortable in her home. Ryan's flat was decorated with bohemian curtains and homemade paper lamps with a simple couch with colorfully Moroccan pillows and a papasan in the corner with box of books on top of it.

Ryan got out a mug for herself and set it by the kettle. " So what is it you like to talk about, mystery man?" she said walking to her papasan to take the books out from it to sit in it. She waved her hand to offer the man the couch.

" I was wondering if you had come to a decision yet." he asked striding over and sat precariously on her couch disgustingly moving a fuzzy pillow out of his way.

Ryan leaned back in her chair and made herself more comfortable, she was in her own home and this man was less threatening just by himself

" I have, but why is it so important?" She asked. " Also how do you know about me?"

" I have my ways, and there's nothing to worry about. You'll remain in the shadows as long as you wish." He said fiddling with his umbrella. " Now if you don't mind Ms. Clarke, your answer."

Ryan groaned and slunk in her chair. "Well that didn't really answer my question but thanks for that... I guess." She took another deep breath. " and to your question thanks but no thanks. As much as it pains me to say NO to money, I can't be involved."

" And why is that?"

" Because if I say yes, then you'll give me money for the wrong reasons and I think that it would eat me up inside. Plus spy work would be awkward from up here and he would find me out eventually. I'm a horrible liar." she explained.

" Your deductions are valid Ms. Clarke and with that I would like to bid you a good night." he checked his watch, got up and headed for the door. Ryan's eyes widened with astonishment as to how simple it was. Smiling at the simplicity of it all, she got up from her chair and went to follow him out.

" Wait, one more thing." She implored. He turned and held his umbrella with two hands patiently waiting for her question. " Whats your name?"

He looked to the girl and smiled. " My name is Mycroft Holmes, Ms. Clarke."

Ryan stared at the man in her doorway. " So probably just a coincidence but are you related to Sherlock Holmes in any way shape or form?" Ryan asked.

" He is my brother, yes." He said.

" Get out." Ryan smiled started to shove him out the door.

" I beg your pardon Ms. Clarke?" He said surprised that he was being handled in such a way.

" I said get out!" She said pushing him out into the hall. " I can only handle so many 'Holmes' for one night. Also shame on you for chasing and kidnapping me earlier."

" Well then," Mycroft huffed. "If you'll excuse me." and with that he left, leaving Ryan in disbelief. Closing her door ajar, she went to her kitchen in anger and stressed pouring herself a cup of tea and opened her sugar container. It was sadly empty. Letting out a sigh Ryan closed her eyes and threw her hands up in the air.

" My neighbor is Sherlock Holmes and I am a baker with no sugar...Perfect!" She said bracing the counter with her hands. There was a knock at her door, " WHAT Now!" She yelled. She looked over and the police man from earlier, his face in a bit of a shock from her outburst.

" Well, that's a kind welcoming." He joked, taking a wallet from his coat he flashed her his badge. " Detective Inspector Lestrade."

" I am so SO sorry about that. I don't usually yell at strangers or at all really," Ryan said coming around her round table and extending a hand. " I'm Ryan Clarke." He took it shaking it quickly.

" Nice to meet you, this visit is pertaining to a Mr. Sherlock Holmes, you were in his flat earlier today, would you mind if I were to ask you some questions?"

Ryan's inner self screamed as she smiled brightly as if there were no turmoil when she heard Sherlock's name. _'This day keeps getting better and better'_ she thought. " Sure..." She gritted though her teeth. " How may I help?"

" Mrs. Hudson the land lady told us you moved in two weeks prior to Mr. Holmes. Since he moved in has there been any kind of weird smells or any suspicious activity coming from his flat?" He asked.

Ryan thought over what he said._ ' Why would they be asking questions about him, I thought he worked for them.' _

" No not really he's mostly kept to himself." Ryan said folding her arms. " I've been at my job mostly, I didn't even notice when he moved in."

" And where do you work if you don't mind me asking." Lestrade asked.

" I work at Memory Lane Cakes on Dorset and Broadstone next to that Welbacks Dry Cleaners."

" Isn't the Nordic Bakery right across the street? The Scandinavian cafe?"

" Yup, the boss didn't think it though as well has he should. Wonderful ladies though." she said with a smile. Detective Lestrade nodded along.

" Detective Lestrade?" Said a woman coming up the stairway.

" In here Donovan," Lestrade called out.

" There's nothing in his bedroom everyone's working on his kitchen now, place is a sty." Donovan said slipping on a pair of latex gloves entering into Ryan's flat.

" What is this a drug bust or something?" Ryan joked.

" Yeah and who are you?" Donovan asked with a cocky attitude. This made Ryan laugh, she was in her own home and was being talked back to by someone who she met not even 5 seconds ago. '_Is everyone in this town taken crazy pills?_'

" Sgt Donovan, this is Ryan Clarke, Sherlock's neighbor." Lestrade introduced.

" His neighbor?" the woman laughed. " Well good luck to you sweetheart. I'll give you another week before he drives you outta here."

" That's not for you to bet, and I'm not going anywhere." Ryan snapped back and started what felt like a staring contest with the Sergeant.

" Well then that's all that we need from you Ms. Clarke, you have a good night." Lestrade said and waved off taking Sgt Donovan down the stairs with him.

Ryan went to shut the door but then realized that the Sergeant said. "Wait did you say drugs bust?!" She shouted down the hall running after them and into Sherlock's flat. She stopped at the doorway and saw nearly ten people were ransacking his kitchen flipping over utensil drawers, searching though his cabinets, tip toeing around the science experiments on his table, just making a horrid mess of the place. It was bad before but they weren't making it any better.

" Oh Ryan..." She heard Mrs. Hudson from the couch. " What has he done?" Ryan dashed over to her and helped her wipe her eyes.

" Mrs. Hudson, I'm not sure, are you alright?" Ryan said holding her hands in comfort.

" Yes, I'm alright their just making such an awful mess of the place." she said sobbing into a hankie.

" Come on, lets get you some fresh air." She took Mrs. Hudson out of the flat and walked her down the stairs only to find Sherlock and John out of breath smiling. Sherlock caught them coming down.

" Oh Mrs. Hudson, Doctor Watson will be taking the extra room." he said happily.

" Says who?" John asked.

" Says the man at the door." and with that there was knocking as if by magic.

Sherlock leaned his head against the wall regulating his breaths. " Catch your breath yet?" Ryan said sourly.

" Sherlock what have you done?"

" Mrs. Hudson?"

" Upstairs, genius. What did you do?" Ryan asked again. There was a clamor in the flat above them that wiped Sherlock's smile right off his face. He jolted to the apartment to find Lestrade in his chair. " What are you doing?" he said sternly. Ryan and Mrs. Hudson just behind John's heels.

" I'd knew you'd find the case." Lestrade said comfortably.

" I'm not stupid, you can't just break into my flat."

" Well you can't withhold evidence." he stated. " And we didn't break into your flat."

" WELL what do you call this then?" Sherlock said gesturing all around him.

" They called it a drugs bust." Ryan put out cautiously wondering how he'll take the news. Sherlock and John turned to her looking for clarification.

" Seriously? This guy a junkie? Have you met him?" John shouted. Ryan put a hand on his shoulder to calm him and leer him away from the conversation.

" John," Ryan said trying to get him to shut up. He wasn't making things better.

" I'm pretty sure you could search this flat all day, you wouldn't find anything you could call recreational." Ryan shook him a bit.

" John, you probably want to say things a little softer." she asked nicely.

" Yes John, listen to Ryan you'd probably want to shut up now." Sherlock snapped at him.

" Yeah, but come on." John looked into Sherlock's eyes and they screamed at him to keep his mouth shut. " No..." " What?" " You?" " Shut up!" Sherlock turned towards Lestrade. " I'm not your sniffer dog."

" No Anderson's my sniffer dog." He said motioning to the kitchen when a pale lanky man waved at the trio with a fork in his hand, eating the left over cake from earlier.

" Anderson, what are you doing here on a drugs bust?!" Sherlock burst.

Swallowing his bite, " Oh I volunteered... This cake is super good by the way."

"... Thanks.." Ryan waved awkwardly to the man licking frosting off his unlatexed fingers.

" They all volunteered, they're not strictly on the drugs squad but they're very keen."

" ARE THESE HUMAN EYES?" Donovan yelled from the kitchen.

" PUT THOSE BACK!" Sherlock yelled at her.

" They were in the microwave..." she replied.

" It's an experiment." he eyed her with disdain.

This was being a little too much for Ryan. " And on the note where someone thinks human eyes in the microwave is normal, this is where I take my leave, good night everyone."

" Good night Ryan." John said giving her a side hug and she also rubbed Mrs. Hudson's shoulder a bit in comforting goodbye and went back upstairs and into her own flat. Ryan shut her door, staggered to her couch and flopped into it. Trying not to think about anything in particular and just about to fall asleep, letting time slip around her, there was a knock at her door. Ryan groaned and rolled off the couch and onto her feet groaning.

" You know around this time of night people are trying to wind down and start to not answer the door." She opened her door and there was nobody. She looked down at her doorknob and there was a single long stemmed red rose rubber banded to it with a small note. '_For my princess- M._' Ryan's eyes squinted in confusion. Perhaps this was meant for Mrs. Hudson. Ryan took it inside for her, ' _I'll keep it for her until the morning...no way I'm leaving again tonight._ ' Opening her window to put the rose with the other flowers on her veranda for the mornings sunrise. When she reached out to place it among with her daisies, she saw Sherlock down below talking with a cab driver. She saw him look up at her for a brief moment and then back at the driver. " Is this a confession?" Sherlock said out loud.

" Oh, yeah, and I'll tell you what else. If you call the coppers now. I won't run. I'll sit down and they can take me down, I promise." the Cabbie said plainly.

_'That would just be too easy.'_ Sherlock thought. '_Whats his game?_' " Why?" He asked the driver.

" Cause your not going to do that. I didn't kill those four people, Mr. Holmes... I spoke to them and they killed themselves. If you get the coppers now, I promise you one thing-I will never tell you what I said." he said leaning in intriging Sherlock and he walked around to the drivers side of the taxi.

" No one else will die though and I believe they call that a result. " Sherlock said bluntly.

" You won't ever understand how those people died. What kind of result do you care about?" He said and got into his car.

Sherlock looked around him and then up at Ryan listening to the whole thing. She could swear that he winked at her and got into the cab. " No, no nonononono! You Idiot, why? That's rule number one: DON"T get into strange cars with serial killers!" Ryan said in a whisper. She climbed back into her flat, shut the window and ran downstairs on her way to John.

" John! John!" Ryan said storming in. " Sherlock just got into a cab!"

" Yeah we know," Sgt Donovan smirked. "We're wasting our time everybody, clear out!" Ryan took a deep breath in and sighed turning to John.

" No you don't understand, He got into a cab and left-" she tried to whisper to him but he cut her off.

" Yes I know Ryan, I just saw him leave." John said holding his phone to his ear. " I'm calling the phone now but it keeps ringing out."

"Well if its ringing its not here." Lestrade said sounding defeated.

" I'll try the search again." John said going to his computer.

" Wait what search?" Ryan questioned. " Your looking for a phone?"

" Does it matter? Does any of this matter?" Donovan reaching her last straw. " He's just a lunatic and he'll always let you down and he's wasting your time. All our time."

John continued to look at the computer trying diligently. Lestrade was clearing everyone out of the flat. Anderson swiping off his gloves and walking up to Ryan.

" Thank you for the sweets, which bakery do you work at again? Or better yet how about you give me your phone number and we can talk about sweeter things?" Anderson lulled on. His strongly scented deodorant making Ryan feel sick to her stomach.

" Please just get outta here." she said in disgust " Not to be rude but the smell coming off of you is too much." She covered her mouth and nose and went to sit on Sherlock's chair arm to face John. Anderson lifted his arm up to smell himself in question as he left. After Lestrade left Ryan took the computer from Johns hands and set it down on the desk.

" John you have to listen to me." Ryan said putting her hands up to hold Johns face to keep his attention.

" I'm listening..." John said through squished lips, she let go of his face and crossed her arms.

" Sherlock left in the cab with the killer. The killer is the Cabbie. A killer Cabbie. " She said calmly trying not to freak John out. " Now we shouldn't panic because panicking make things worse." Johns face widened with shock. " But I feel like I'm panicking, so cross all that."

" Don't panic?! Oh my god, Ryan why didn't you say anything sooner? This whole place was crawling with police a moment ago."

" The killer said that if he was to call the police down then no one would know how he killed all those people, I'm not saying what he did was smart but we need to help him." Ryan said in a huff.

John rubbed his face dryly trying to think. " Okay, here's the plan, all we have to go on is this phone search. From what we know the killer has the phone and we can track it."

" Great when does it kick in?" She asked as the tablet made a chiming sound. " Well isn't that lucky?"

" Come on, lets go." John said grabbing her arm and out the door they went.

The cab they took dropped them off in front of two identical buildings side by side. Ryan was manning the laptop, shutting it closed.

" It says here but its too vague on where they are exactly." Ryan said frustrated.

" We could split up. I'll take the right you take the left." John said running towards the right building.

" Oh yeah great idea! Apparently I'm in an episode of Scooby doo. If I have to pull someones mask off I'm seriously putting myself in therapy." Ryan said to John and started to jog towards the left building. Swinging open the door, the emergency lights buzzed low and there were stairs leading up to another floor where the lights were turned on. " Oh jezz... Sherlock you better be in here or else the cleaning lady's going to have a heart attack." Ryan said to herself and descended up the stairs. Ryan was carefully peering into each of the rooms with even the slightest of light. On the third floor there was a door where the lights were on all the way._ ' Oh please be alright, and not dead.'_ Ryan hoped. She saw through the doors window that Sherlock sat across from the elderly gentlemen who held a gun that was pointed at Sherlock's head.

" Now you can choose a 50/50 chance or I could shoot you in the head. Funny enough no ones ever gone for that option." the cab driver said with a smile.

Sherlock looked him in the eye with a smile. " I'll have the gun please." the man held his ground. " Are you sure?"

" Definitely, the gun." Sherlock said sitting back in his chair comfortably.

" Don't want to phone a friend?"

" The. Gun." Sherlock said waiting for the man's next move, and as he was going to pull the trigger Ryan burst through the door running in slightly. " SHERLOCK!" The man pulled the trigger and a little flame came out the tip of his gun.

" Ryan?!" Sherlock said turning towards her, seeing her coming towards him quickly but carefully, her eyes on the man as she ascended closer hands shaking. Her expression was relived when she got over to him. Ryan threw her arms around his neck embracing him tightly. " Can't breath.."

" Sorry." she let go of him and turned towards the man with the fake gun. " How did you know it wasn't real?"

" I know a real gun when I see one." He said looking at the man across from him.

" None of the others did."

" Clearly. Well this has been very interesting. I look forward to the court case." He stood up pushing the chair away. " Ryan lets go." Ryan took a few steps over to the elderly man and tore the ID number off his neck throwing it to Sherlock.

" I'll be taking this...Your a very bad man, you should be ashamed." Sherlock took Ryan's hand and led her to the door. " Okay Ryan, that's enough." Sherlock reminded her.

" Just before you leave? Did you figure it out?" The elderly man questioned. " Which one's the good bottle?"

" Of course. Childs play." Sherlock turned to him. Ryan pulled at his sleeve not liking where this was going.

" Sherlock lets just go, the police are on their way we called them in the car." Ryan implored.

" Come on, play the game, which one would you have picked? So at least I know that I would have beaten you." the man egged on. Sherlock looked at him and shut the door.

" Sherlock, don't give into him. He's not right in the head." Ryan said gripping his jacket. He pulled away from her grasp and went back to the table and picked up a bottle. " OH, interesting." the man said grabbing the other bottle left behind.

" Really what do you think?" the man got up from the chair. " You think you can beat me? Clever enough...to bet your life? I bet you get bored don't you? I bet you do.." the man went on as Sherlock opened the bottle and took the pill in his palm. " Man like you, so clever? But whats the point of being clever if you can't prove it?" Sherlock brought the pill up to the light to see it's contents clearly. Bringing it in front of his mouth hands shaking.

" Your not bored now are ya?" the man said bringing an identical pill to his mouth. Ryan looked at the men fight about who was right, sighed and walked over to them took the pills from their hands tossing them over her shoulder into a corner. The men looking at her as if something was on her face.

"There, now no one will know. Happy?!" Ryan said shoving the man further into the room. " Now you stay put and wait to be arrested, Sherlock. Outside. Now!" Ryan said pushing the door holding it for him, waiting for him to join her.

" Like I said, looking forward to the court case." Sherlock said walking out into the hall way, Ryan shutting the door behind her.

" You just had to have the last word didn't you?" She said crossing her arms. " Your such an idiot. First you get into the cab with a serial killer, you make me worry and bring John down here to save your ass-"

" You didn't save anything. I had everything under control until you interfered bursting into the room like a lunatic."

" Oh I interfered?!" they stopped walking. " I'll give you that it wasn't smart to do that but he had a gun to your head Sherlock! And still, remind me who it was who was going to take a potentially dangerous pill and kill themselves?"

" I wasn't in any real danger! I chose right." Sherlock stated.

" You don't know that." Ryan said through her teeth shooting him a stern look. " Your so aggregating!"

" Then if I'm so aggregating then why are you here?" Sherlock snapped back at her.

That was a very good question, why was she there. Risking life and limb to save Sherlock's. She couldn't find the answer. The two just stood there continuously staring into each others eyes with anger until they heard the sound of coughing and gagging coming from the room they just left. Sherlock turned back and ran back into the room to find the old man on the floor gasping for air. Sherlock grabbed the man by the lapels.

" Was I right?" Sherlock asked quickly. " I was, wasn't I?"

" Oh my god Sherlock! What happened?"

" Isn't it obvious? He took both of the pills. Now tell me DID I GET IT RIGHT?" Sherlock practically screamed at the man. The man's breath's were heavy as he tried to get more air, he shook his head lazily to the right and left. Sherlock sighed and shoved the man back onto the ground. " Okay, tell me this. Your sponsor who was it? The one who told you all about me, my fan. I want a name. " the man gasped out the words no. Sherlock didn't like that answer and he was running out of time. " You're dying, but there's still time to hurt you. Give me a name." Sherlock said

"No" the man managed. Sherlock then stepped on the dying man's chest making it hard for him to take in enough air. " A NAME NOW!" Tears rolling down Ryan's cheeks as she bore witness to this man dying before her and being practically tortured in his last moments. She couldn't take it anymore. She shoved Sherlock off of the man and turned the man over onto his side and into recovery position. Ryan cocked her head to the side and made sure the man was looking at her.

" Look, in a few moments your stomach is going to try to reject anything inside of it and probably bring up some of your organs along with it, but in this position it will help you not to choke violently on your own vomit and blood sparing you to at least a chance of living through this or to die with dignity. Now give us a name or I'll put you back the way you were." Ryan's gaze held an intensity that Sherlock had never seen in anyone before. 'To offer a killer mercy and then tear it away from him as a bargaining chip was genius.' Sherlock thought. ' Why hadn't I thought of that?'

The man gasped a few moments and started to mouth a few of the words." Mo-ri... Moriar-... Moriarty." he said in barely a whisper.

"Thank you." Ryan said standing up and walking over to Sherlock. The man started to wheeze heavier and gradually went into shock, his mouth began to foam up and his eyes rolling to the back of his head. All of her confidence melted away from what it was a few seconds ago as Ryan turned into Sherlock's shoulder and hid from what was happening to the elder man. Sherlock held her there as she wept into him. With that all the anger and frustration had vanished between the two of them, Sherlock rubbed Ryan's back trying to comfort her while he watched as a man die.

Outside sirens wailed as Sherlock and Ryan sat on the edge of an ambulance. A paramedic came back behind Sherlock and laid a blanket on him, while Ryan was wrapped up in two. Detective Lestrade arrived on the scene and strode over to them.

" Why have I got this blanket? They keep putting this blanket on me." Sherlock complained.

" Give it to me then, free blanket." Ryan said as Sherlock took off his blanket and tossed it over her shoulders. " Thanks."

" Yeah those are for shock." Lestrade answered him.

" I'm not in shock," Sherlock replied.

" Yeah he's not in shock." Ryan said turning her head to the side. " Excuse me, may I have another shock blanket? These are surprisingly comfy." the paramedics come by with another one and wrapped it around her front this time. " Thank you, now do I have to give these back?"

"Some of the guys wanted to take photographs, with you in a blanket and next to a girl." Lestrade chuckled. "Other than that, what an awful way to go."

" He was elderly, probably couldn't take the thought of prison." Ryan said sadly.

" Ms. Clark question for you, what are you doing here at the crime scene?" Lestrade asked.

" Well I...Hey!" Ryan said as Sherlock started to remove her from her blanket cocoon leaving her with only one.

" Oh leave her alone Lestrade. Can't you see that Ms. Clarke is in shock?" Sherlock said standing them up and trying to usher her away from the detective.

" But I have questions." Lestrade fought. " Where are you going?"

" We just need to convene with my room mate he must be worried about us."

" Yeah but Sherlock- " Lestrade started.

" What now? She's got a blanket, and I just caught you a serial killer.. more or less. Please if you don't mind." Sherlock said pushing her though his hand steady on her lower back over to John.

" I'm not in shock Sherlock, you didn't have to rush me off like that." Ryan said gripping the only blanket she had to her chin.

" Glad to see you two are alright. Are you cold Ryan?" John asked.

" Not really, I'm used to jacket weather." Ryan said " I wanted to get away with free blankets." she smiled but it sadly turned when a paramedic over heard her and took the blanket from her. " Aww!"

" That's what you get for trying to steal shock blankets from paramedics" John laughed.

" I have plenty at the flat anyway." Sherlock chimed in bringing back Ryan's smile.

" So Sgt Donovan was just explaining everything. Two pills? Dreadful business." John said sympathetically. " Are you alright? You did just see a man die." Sherlock nodded his head but was really wondering how Ryan was doing. She may have seemed okay but her presence was miles away. " Yeah, I'm fine John, Just need some food and a nap." She said crossing her arms in comfort.

" Dinner?" Sherlock asked.

" Starved." John said as Ryan nodded her head and smiled.

" End of Baker's St there's a Chinese restaurant where it stays open until two am. You can always tell a good Chinese place by examining the bottom third of the door handle it ha-."

" Sherlock, " John said while he noticed the suited man coming out of a car. " That's him. Thats the man I was talking about." Sherlock looked in the man's direction.

" I know exactly who that is." Sherlock said as the man sauntered up to the trio.

" So, another case cracked." Mycroft said happily. " How very public spirited, But that's never really your motivation is it?"

" What are you doing here?" Sherlock questioned.

" As ever I am concered about you." Mycroft answered. " Good evening Ms. Clarke I didn't expect to see you here."

" Evening. Didn't really expect to see you a third time today. I seemed to hit the Holmes Roulette." She joked.

" Yes, I've been hearing about your concern, and how do you two know each other?" Sherlock said with a steady voice.

" Always so aggresive. Did it never occur to you that you and I belong on the same side?" Mycroft implored his little brother.

" Oddly enought no." Sherlock mocked.

" We have more in common than you'd like to believe. This petty feud is simply childish. People will suffer.. and you know how it always upsets mummy."

" I upset her?" Sherlock questioned. " Me? It wasn't me who upset her Mycroft!"

" No, wait? Mummy?" John questioned confused as any. " Mummy who's mummy?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes " Mother our mother. This is my brother Mycroft." John awed at the suited man. " Putting on weight again?" Sherlock teased.

" Losing it in fact." Mycroft smugly snapped.

" Wait isn't he I don't know criminal mastermind?" John asked Sherlock.

" For goodness sake I occupy a minor position in the British government." Mycroft defended.

" He is the British government when he's not too busy not being the British secret service or the CIA on a freelance basis. Good Evening Mycroft, Try not to start a war before I get home. You know what it does to the traffic." Sherlock corrected him took Ryan's hand and led her away from his brother.

_' So that's how he knew about me.'_ Ryan thought. _' That's sort of a relief._' Then she thought. ' _Why is he still holding my hand? Is he really that concerned for me?_' Ryan pulled her hand away and he slid his hands behind his back, realizing that he was holding onto her hand for far too long in the first place.

" So how do you know my brother?" he asked trying to save face,

" I invited him up for tea." She said. " He refused any but wanted my answer as to if I would spy on you or not. I eventually told him no, because I'm a horrible liar."

" but your loyal." Sherlock replied under his breath.

" What was that?" Ryan asked.

" Nothing. So Dim Sum? John?" Sherlock asked as his new room mate followed behind catching up. " I can always predict the fortune cookies."

" No you can't fibber." Ryan laughed.

" Almost can." Sherlock said trying to defend his honor. " Well you were shot, John in Afghanistan, and you Ryan have two brothers, correct?"

This stopped Ryan in her tracks a bit, wide eyed, then remembered that she was walking. " Y- yeah." She cleared her throat. " Uh two older twin brothers."

" Twin's! Should have known, there's always something... and you John you- " Sherlock went on about John but everything he was saying was going in one ear and out the other with Ryan. ' _What else does he know and isn't letting on about?_'

" What are you so happy about?" John asked Sherlock.

" Moriarty." he replied. This broke Ryan out of her trance.

" What''s Moriarty?" Ryan asked catching up to them.

" I've absolutely no idea." he replied and the trio walked the streets away from a case closed crime scene.

YAY! First episode in the bag, super excited for all of you to see what else is in store! SO I have to be honest with you guys. I only wrote out the first episode, so it might be like a week before you hear from me again with more content. There is a note book of mine which has each episode planned out so all I have to do is type and edit and all that jazz. So please bare with me. I promise that its gonna be a lot of fun and we'll learn a lot about Ryan along the way.. SO please review if you wish. Feedback is amazing and it makes me feel so good to see a new one.

**Princess Mew Mew**- Thank you so much for being my first reviewer, and It makes me so happy that my hard work is paying off in a way. I've been researching and trying to write down as many thoughts as I can for this story for the past four months. It's a little scary to put your work out there for the world to see and to have people write back to you how it is. So I appreciate you and your honesty, can't wait for what you have to say about this one. It was a doozy, haha.

**PrincessPipi**- I always loved kind and funny characters who also aren't afraid to come off a little stupid because that's human nature. Something that we all know that Sherlock has trouble with, so I think that he's really met his match with Ryan. Glad that you liked it! Thank you for your review!

**KD**- I WILL! :D I'm excited to get it off of the ground haha. It's just a matter of getting the words off the page and into the computer. Thank you for your enthusiasam, it keeps me going to see people excited for new content. :D


	4. A busy morning

John waited patiently as he was next in line at the self checkout. The market had been busy due to it being the first of the month. John scanned in his items as quickly as he could when he reached the machine. Trying not to take up anyone's time as he felt stares from others around him in the back of his head. The machine chimed a kind voice, 'Unexpected item in bagging area. Please try again.' He picked up the head of lettuce and tried to carefully scan it once more," Item not scanned, please try again."

John scoffed, " Do you think you could bring your voice down." he said to the machine as if it were really listening. He brought his face to the scanners level to see if it will pick it up the second time.

" Having some trouble there?" A woman's voice said behind him. He looked behind him. It was Ryan in black leggings, a light grey walker coat and a pair of grey tweed heels, also with what looked like a bag of nothing but sugar.

" Oh Ryan, Yeah the bugger won't scan correctly." he said nervously as the onset of people behind him became more annoyed. Ryan came up to the machine looking at the lettuce.

" May I try?" She asked and he kindly gave over to her. She flipped it to see the code and she typed the item number of the lettuce into the system and it came up on the register and put it in the bagging area. " There you go. It's always the produce that gives everyone back talk." she smiled.

" Thank you, these machines are always so annoying." he said as he went to swipe his card and enter his pin.

' Card not authorized.' the machine told him. ' Please use an alternative method of payment.'

" Yes alright I've got it!" He yelled at the machine aggravated with it's tone. " I was afraid that this was going to happen."

" John, its alright," Ryan rubbed his back to try and calm him down. "Here let me get this and you can get mine next time."

" N-No Ryan I can't let you do that." he said. " Lets just get out of here."

" No John, I insist. You and Sherlock can't go hungry, he barely eats as is." she interjected.

" Can you please hurry up?" a man a few people behind John said in an annoyed tone of voice. Ryan turned to him and scoffed.

"Oh I'm sorry, are we stopping you from getting into another line? If so, I'm deeply sorry to keep your majesty waiting." she gestured a bow and took her wallet out of her purse and swiped her card quickly typing in her pin. As John rubbed his reddened face he sighed and grabbed the bags in a hurry and waited for Ryan outside of the grocer. She came out smiling, John giving her a sour look.

" Oh, don't be that way John. I know your good for it." she said swinging her bags happily walking along besides him.

John sighed deeply and struggled to find the words. On one hand he was grateful that she had come along, but on the other he was embarrassed that he didn't have the money to support himself anymore. " I need a job." he said in a whisper. " Why are you so happy?" he questioned seeing the obvious jump in her step.

" I got a whole four hours of sleep last night." she confessed. " Makes me cheerful."

" Only four hours?"

" Best four hours of my night, well besides the waking up part." she said. " But at least I got to wake up nicely. Sherlock was playing his violin at three in the morning." She said cheerfully.

" And that's .. normal for you?" John questioned." How much sleep do you usually get?"

"Yeah, I have primary chronic Insomnia. As for how much sleep... I grab a few cat naps here and there when I can, but those are usually when its my day off. "

" How long has this been going on for?" he said concerned.

" As long as I can remember why?" She said as if she didn't already know the dangers of her disorder. John looked at her with concern and tread carefully as he asked her questions about herself. He figured that he could at least offer his help if she would take it.

" You know that I used to be a doctor in the army. Still am a damn good one at that." He stated.

" I know you are John." she looked to him. " I understand your concern and I appreciate the offer but no, I'm not looking for a doctor at this time in my life." they made their way to 221B and Ryan motioned her head to the door. " Where's your keys? Mine are still inside." John set down a set of his bags to retrieve his keys to open the door for them.

" You know that forgetfulness is one of the many symptoms of insomnia, right?" he joked with a serious tone making Ryan laugh. " I'm just saying that we can find you help, if you want."

" John, I'm going to tell you something my mother always told her doctors." Ryan said sweetly.

" Yeah and what's that?" he said picking up his bags.

" ' Shut it you Quack! It ain't broke so don't try to fix it!' " she said in a thick Jersey accent and laughed as she made her way up the stairs. " Now come on, I'll help you put it away." John half smiled up to the girl, even though she turned him down for help, doesn't mean he'll stop trying from time to time.

In the boy's flat, Sherlock sat in his chair a read a book, not looking from its pages he said. " You took your time."

" Well, I almost didn't get the shopping." He said taking his bag's to the kitchen. Ryan setting down her's at their doorway.

" Why not?" Sherlock asked looking up slightly.

" He got in a fight with a self check out machine." Ryan said unloading the bag's on the table.

"You had a row with a machine?" Sherlock questioned John raising his eyebrow.

" Sort of. It sat there and I shouted abuse." He spat. " Have you got cash? We owe Ryan twenty Quid."

" I don't want it." Ryan yelled from the kitchen, opening cabinets to see where everything was put.

" Take my card. There's an Atm up the street." Sherlock said slightly smiling at John's misfortune. John strode into the kitchen and grabbed Sherlock's wallet off the table.

" You know you could have gone to get it too, you've been sitting there all morning. You've not even moved since I left." John said clearly annoyed with his room mate. " What happened about that case you were offered, the Jaria Diamond?"

Sherlock shut the book and sighed. " Not interested." he uncrossed his legs and hit the sword of the man who was in the flat not that long ago. He pushed it back with his right heel so no one would notice it. " I sent them a message." his mind wandering back to when he knocked the man out cold back onto his chair.

Ryan picked up the bag's that she flung around and saw a notch carved into their table." Whats that from?" she asked. John coming over to inspect it with his finger. He's looked to Sherlock who had a smile on his face. Sighing with regret John looked to Ryan.

" Don't go anywhere, your getting your money back whether you like it or not." He said sternly and headed out of the flat. Ryan snorted and laughed.

" He reminds me of my brother," she thumbed in the direction of the door. Sherlock's smile crept back, knowing that he was right from the few nights before.

" Hey Sherlock, do you wanna help me put away your groceries?" Ryan said in sweet sarcasm.

" Not really but I feel like your going to nag at me until I do. Why are you helping anyway?" he said getting up and heading into the kitchen.

" I don't nag, I encourage." she corrected with a smile. " It's my only day off this week and I have nothing better to do. Plus I've been awake since you started playing your violin early this morning, so I got a lot of things done around my apartment. Might as well pay it forward you know since you helped m-..." she said as she grabbed the produce and put her hand on the fridge's handle.

" DON"T OPEN THAT!" he yelled at her but it was too late. Ryan opened the door to see a bloody severed head on a plate on the mid rack. Ryan screamed and scrambled to slam the door shut and trying to move back at the same time. Tripping over her own feet falling backwards, she managing to smack the corner of the counter top with her head.

Sherlock dashed towards her. Lifting her head up gently not to ensue any further injury. " Come on talk to me." her eyes were shut tightly and she was holding her breath.

" Aahhh!" She managed to release with her breath. Grabbing Sherlock's hand and squeezing it hard to signify how much pain she was in. Sherlock put his arm under her leg's and managed to get his hand back from her grip of death to pick her up bridal style. Quickly taking her over to the couch. He sat her up and knelled in front of her turning her head to the side carefully so he could inspect the damage. She wasn't bleeding, but she was going to have a hell of a goose egg in a few minutes. Sherlock got up and rushed to get her an ice pack from the kitchen. Ryan tried her best to stay in once place but her body betrayed her as she slumped over on her side to the soft pillows.

" No, No , Ryan. Come on you can't fall asleep you may have a slight concussion." He said placing the ice pack on the backside of her head. She hissed with pain as he lifted her from the couch into a sitting position.

" Of course it hurts, now don't be stupid and keep it there or else your going to have a knot the size of your fist." Sherlock said holding his hand there for her. Ryan winced in pain as he applied slight pressure, her forehead scrunched and her eyes starting to tear up.

" Dang it Brad, blue is going to turn to red if you don't stop her." She groaned under her breath.

" What?" Sherlock asked wide eyed. _' That can't be good.'_ he though and brought her hand up to hold onto the pack as he snapped his fingers in front of her face, he saw that her eyes were blinking in coordination as they should.

" W- what are you doing?" Ryan said drowsily slowly coming back from disorientation.

" Checking signs of something serious." Sherlock said holding the sides of her head and moving it in all directions.

" Well this is making me dizzy..." She said annoyed and slapped his hands out of her face. "Will you stop that?"

" What year is this?"

" 3025, why?" she joked but then his face went ridged with serious intent. " I'm only kidding around, its 2010."

" What are your brothers names?" he asked quickly.

" ...Brad and Collin, why?" She questioned.

" You called me Brad a second ago and also you know mine so now I know yours." he said and got up and strode to his desk opening a laptop. " You'll be fine just keep that pack to your head and try not to fall asleep."

" I'm fine Sherlock, just a knock on the head." she went to stand up, she stood there but feeling like her head weighed twenty pounds lighter, she quickly sat back down to make the room stop spinning. Ryan put the ice pack by her side and rubbed her face tiredly.

" Sherlock..." Ryan asked from in between her fingers. " Why is there a severed head in your fridge?"

" It's an experiment, I'm testing the coagulation of saliva after death. This is my second head I've nicked from the morgue, Mrs. Hudson didn't approve of the first one." he said as his mind wandered back to when his landlady found his first experiment.

" And I can see why, you should just get yourself a large cooler for stuff like that." She laughed and put the pack back on her head.

" That is an idea." Sherlock said focusing on the laptop more than the conversation.

" Is that my computer?" Ryan heard John say from the doorway.

" Of course, mine was in the bedroom." Sherlock said in a semi cheerful tone.

" What, and you couldn't be bothered to get up?" John said as came by shut the laptop and spotted Ryan on the couch holding her head with a ice bag. " Oh my god, Ryan what happened?"

" Bumped my head, no big deal, I've got ice." she said with a smile, maneuvering the cold over the sore spot." Oh and by the way DON'T look in your fridge." she warned wagging her finger looking at him sternly as he made his way over to her.

" Let me see," John said reaching for her.

" She's fine, we just have to keep an eye on her... and I need to go to the bank." Sherlock said getting up from his desk and getting his coat. " Come on Ryan your coming too."

" No, I'm not," She said swatting John's hand away.

" Yes you are, can you stand?" he said reaching out his hand to her. She looked at it and sighed, she took it and started to stand slowly the dizziness starting to fade away with the support from Sherlock.

" Sherlock, she can't go anywhere," John interjected. " You need to sit down and rest."

" Well we can't leave her alone now can we." Sherlock sighed.

" Yes you can, my brother's used to leave me home alone loads of times." Ryan said fixing her hair with one hand, straightening out the fly away's.

" I know how to work a microwave and everything." Ryan joked suspecting that the two weren't really listening to her. Sherlock pulled her along and helped her down the stairs, one by one. " Such a gentlemen." she couldn't help but say half way down. Sherlock sighed deeply rolling his eyes.

" Please do feel free to shut up on the way there." he snapped.

" Hey! Be nice, I have a head injury." She said pulling her hand away from him and held on to the stairs railing on the way down. Sherlock kept a hand on her lower back to help steady her just in case things took a turn for the worse. A gesture that John saw on his way down behind them.

The three arrived by taxi to a large office building, the lobby was bustling with people coming and going. The building's structure was covered on all sides by modern sunlit terraces and centered in on a long front reception area.

" This is a bank?" Ryan asked looking amazed by how large some of the buildings in London were compare to some of the places she's been. Sherlock ignored her question and proceeded to the front counter. "John, why are we here?"

" I don't know really, but we have to keep an eye on you."

" But I'm fine, John. Look I can walk on my own two feet." Ryan said giving a turn and walking forwards and backwards showing off that she really was fine.

" That may be the case but concussions are tricky business. You may show symptoms further down the line as well. "

" Sherlock Holmes." He said to the woman. She simply nodded and buzzed them in. Ryan felt a little out of place in the business atmosphere. Nicely pressed suits, hair slicked back and she could swear she saw a water cooler down one of the hallways. She was glad that she chose baking other than a nine to five career where she could bake and create. ' Although the paycheck must be nice.' she thought as she passed a woman who was massaging her hands with what looked like an expensive hand cream. They were escorted to an office with large floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city, Ryan walked over to the window to have a closer look. The city was beautiful it looked even better with the clear blue sky contrasting the overall grayish buildings, but she made the mistake of looking straight down and she took a step back starting to feel dizzy again.

" We are really.. high up." Ryan stated and took her seat next to Sherlock. A man walked into the room.

" Sherlock Holmes." the man said as Sherlock stood and shook the man's hand with a smile.

" Sebastian."

" How long's it been, eight years since I last clapped eyes on you? And who's this now? Your girlfriend?" Sebastian said with inflection looking Ryan over from head to toe.

" These are my friend's, Ryan Clarke and John Watson." Sherlock said clarifying.

" Friend?" he said.

" Colleague." John replied and shook Sebastian's hand who also shook Ryan's.

" I didn't realize that Sherlock has any friends... women friends." He said looking towards Ryan. She didn't know what to say to that. _' Sherlock has other friends other than us, right?'_ she thought.

" So, you're doing well. You've been abroad a lot." Sherlock interjected.

" Well, some." Sebastian gloated.

" Flying all the way round the world, twice in a month." Sherlock said making Sebastian laugh.

" Right. Your doing that thing." he pointed to Sherlock. " We were at uni together and this guy here had a trick he used to do.

" Its not a trick." Sherlock said sounding a little peeved looking at Sebastian intently.

" He could look at you and tell you your whole life story. Put the wind up everybody. We hated him. You'd come down to breakfast in the formal hall and this freak would know you'd been shagging the previous night."

" I simply observed. " Sherlock corrected, looking embarrassingly to the side.

Sebastian cleared his throat. " Go on then tell me. Two trips a month flying all the way around the world, You're quite right. How could you tell?" Sebastian said and Sherlock went to open his mouth but then Sebastian started again. " You're going to tell me there was a stain on my tie from some special kind of ketchup you can only buy in Manhattan? Or it was the mud on my shoes?"

Sherlock looked at him with a confused look, " I was just chatting with your secretary outside. She told me." he confessed. John and Ryan looked at each other knowing that it wasn't true. Ryan's natural smile began to frown a bit from Sherlock trying to hide who he was just to avoid conversation.

"Sure." Sebastian started to laugh and clapped his hands together. " I'm glad that you could make it over. We've had a break in." He started proceeding to get up, and started to lead the trio through the cubicles outside of his office.

_' So this is a case Sherlock was looking into, hopefully it doesn't turn into anything other than defacing public property. I don't think my heart could take it from what happened last time.'_ Ryan thought as she followed behind Sherlock.

" Sir William's office, the bank's former chairman. His room has been left here like a sort of memorial. Someone broke in late last night.

" What did they steal?" John asked.

" Nothing" he turned back to them. " They left a little message." they all entered into a larger room with a gold framed oil portrait of an older gentleman with a horrid yellow paint can stripe through his eyes and also what looked like Chinese lettering on the wall next to the picture. All four of them returned to Sebastian's office to see a surveillance tape of what happened.

" Sixty seconds apart. So someone came up here in the middle of the night, splashed paint around and left within a minute." Sebastian said pressing the button to play it back again.

" How many ways into that office?" Sherlock asked seeming intrigued by the evidence.

"Well, that's where this gets really interesting." Sebastian led on. " Every door that opens in this bank, it gets logged down stairs. Every walk in cupboard, every toilet."

" And there was no log of the door opening last night?" Ryan asked finding herself intrigued as well. Sebastian looked to her and nodded then turning to Sherlock.

" There's a hole in our security. Find it and we'll pay you. Five figures." he then took a check out of his breast pocket. " This is an advance. Tell me how he got in, there's a bigger one on its way. " He tried to hand Sherlock the paper, but Sherlock's hands remained behind his back.

" I don't need an incentive, Sebastian." He snapped to his former friend and walked back through the cubical's outside of the office. Ryan looked at John with wide eyes and stepped toward Sebastian.

" He could be so modest," and she took the slip of paper out of his hands. " I'll take that for him to look after if you don't mind." She said with a gracious smile, looking at the check's balance, her eyes went wider in shock by how many zero's were attached to the tail end of the check. " Whoa, you really want this place to be like Fort Knox, don't you?"

" A structure is only as strong as its weakest point." Sebastian said taking a moment to look her over with a smug look on his face. " So ...how much is he paying you?"

" I'm sorry?" Ryan asked. " What do you mean?"

" I mean how much is Sherlock paying you? Cause I can guarantee that I can pay double." Sebastian said smirking away raising one eyebrow. Ryan gasped a bit to her surprise when she realized what he was talking about.

" Oh no no... No ..no no no no..." She laughed. "He is not paying me anything. I would also consider your self VERY lucky that I haven't clocked you one. So you better get yourself to the nearest sexual harassment meeting before your court ordered to attend one." she said with the sweetest tone of voice with murder in her eyes.

John sensing a serious row on the brink, strode over to Ryan and took the check for himself. " I'll be holding on to this for Sherlock if you don't mind, thank you. Come on Ryan lets go. Nice to meet you Sebastian." He said taking her arm and leading her to the lobby to wait for Sherlock.

" Can you believe that guy?! What is his problem!" Ryan yelled to John to release her aggression. She stomped the ground and growled under her breath.

" Well your never going to have to that knob again." John promised.

"Edward Van Coon," Sherlock said as he came out of the building, "the picture was facing his only office. We need to find him for questioning. Lobby gave me his address." He looked to John and Ryan. Seeing her face had tightened and she seemed eager to get away from this place. " What's wrong with you?" he asked.

" Nothing, let's just go." and she walked to the sidewalk and stuck out her hand for a cab.

She hailed a cab for them and made there way to a midsize modern apartment building, Sherlock buzzed Mr. Van Coon's flat but there was no answer. They waited there for a few moments.

"No one's home Sherlock." Ryan said starting to feel uncomfortable out investigating with them, _'this is no place for me I'm just a baker tagging along at this point.'_ She thought crossing her arms impatiently.

"Will you stop fidgeting so much!" Sherlock spat at Ryan after observing how tightly her arms were crossed and her attention span waiving as they were walking to the building. 'We get it your bored' he thought regretting bringing her in the first place.

" I'm not fidgeting! I'm not a damn child Sherlock." Ryan replied with attitude.

"I beg to differ." he spat back in her face. Ryan's mouth opened with shock and she unfolded her arms to put them on at her sides.

"Now come on you two, you both fight like an old married couple." John said trying to have them not start a fight in the apartment complex. Sherlock looked away from Ryan rolling his eyes and buzzed the door again a few times in a row making a horrible buzzing noise.

" Oh for god's sake, let me do it." Ryan said pushing Sherlock off to the side with annoyance. Looking at the panel she saw that there was a hand written plaque with a name above the Van Coon plate. She pressed it once and waited for an answer. Thanks to Ryan's experience, ninety five percent of new move in's let you in. A woman answered on the other end.

" Hello." she said cautious.

" HI," Ryan said in a gracious tone. " My name is Amelia Van Coon, My husband and I live in the flat below you and he just stupidly locked us out of it." Sherlock and John looked to each other looking impressed with Ryan's smart thinking.

" Would you like me to buzz you in?" the woman on the other end questioned.

Sherlock moved in and put his chin just above her shoulder to speak into the intercom. " Yeah if you don't mind and could we use your balcony?"

" What?" the woman questioned.

And before she knew it two strangers were in her apartment, the man dangled the woman over the balcony to throw her down to the flat below.

" You can let me go anytime you- THUNK" Ryan started to say but Sherlock let her go as she fell she landed on her feet then on her rear hard. " Thanks.." she said looking up.

" I was trying to project you at an angle so you wouldn't land like that but you were too much in a hurry." Sherlock said with a smirk as if he enjoyed throwing her off of a balcony. He climbed over the railing and hopped down next to Ryan, he helped her up off of the ground and caught a whiff of her honey almond scent again. He admitted to himself that he liked the smell, it was refreshing. _'Like the calm before a storm, its the right balance between sweet and bitter.'_ he thought to himself. " Stay here I'll take a look around, if anything happens, phone Lestrade. I put him as speed dial number three in your phone when you weren't looking. " he said and opened the glass door and swiftly made his way inside looking through everything.

Ryan looked at her phone and saw in her settings that it was changed, but her first two were still the same. She let out a breath of relief and put her phone back in her jacket pocket. She leaned against the railing of the flat Sherlock and her broke into, and looked across the peaceful landscape of the city. Her brother and mother's number were the one's set in her speed dial. Her mother was in the hospital back home, has been for a while now and her brother Brad was taking care of her. So in her downtime her mind always seemed to wander back home.

CRASH! Ryan quickly turned around and headed into the flat to Sherlock.

" Is everything alright?" she asked as she saw him shut a pair of double doors leading into a bedroom quickly.

" No, phone Lestrade." he informed her and led her to the front door.

" Sherlock, what happened?" she asked intently worried.

" Tell him to get here as soon as possible. There's been a murder." He said in a rushed tone looking into Ryan's eyes watching her heart sink into her stomach.

Author's Note: Happy holidays! a week is up and here is content as I promised. Hopefully you all like it. This is one of the most difficult episodes that I feel is hard to write for. I have a pretty solid story line for most of the Episodes of Sherlock but this one is ... Tricky. Anyways, thank you all for your lovely Review's and Follow's I appreciate you guys for taking the time out of your day to write me a lil something something. So thank you again and as for the next update I would expect it around the following week maybe around the same time. Due to the holiday's I will be out of town but that's not going to stop me from typing away, haha.

Lunabloodmoon666- Thank you! I have also found a fondness for the characters and I'm constantly thinking up new scenario's with Ryan and Sherlock and how to get them to blend well together. So thank you again for your review and I hope to see more of you in the future.

Princess Mewmew- Go right ahead and do your thing, that's part of collage right? Haha. I understand where your coming from and I would love to hear what you have to say in order to make it better. If Ryan punched Mycroft I'm sure that he would have her shipped out of country in a wooden box. Haha! Yes it is painfully obvious that M stands for Moriarty in the world of Sherlock, and I want to let you know that Ryan has NO idea who he is at this point. So she's in the dark mostly about him but who knows maybe that'll change?... as for the Blind Banker, as I said it is tricky and I'm going to do my best to do it justice. Thank you for your review, and hope to talk to you again. :D

Guest- I wish I knew what your alias is so I could call you something other than Guest haha. Anyway thank you so much for your comment, I will do my best. Glad your loving it.

BlackMoonWhiteSky- Thank you so much for your review! I run it through spell check but some still slip though. I apologize. As for Ryan's Character I have what I imagine her to look like in my profile if you care to see. I know that sometimes people have a WAY different view of what they see in their minds eye, but still fun to see what other people see and think.

TOASTERLLAMA- (I have to say that I am in love with your name. I have a huge thing for Llama's haha!) Thank you so much for your love and support for the story, Also if you would like to see what Ryan looks like in my Mind's eye I linked a picture in my description on my profile.

PrincessPiPi- Aww thank you! I appreciate it! Those shock blankets are one hundred percent wool, super warm and who wouldn't want to play burrito in those things if you had full access to them! Haha! I'm happy that everyone is responding to Ryan in such a positive way, I researched her character for about 4 months and honestly the character's been though so much change and I really hope it's for the best. So here's looking out for the future! Thank you for reviewing and I hope to see you for the next chapter. :D


	5. A busy afternoon

As the police scurried about the apartment, Ryan sat on the couch breathing into a paper brown bag. John sat on the coffee table in front of her making sure she was breathing regularly.

"John I need you in here please." Sherlock yelled from the room. John looked to Ryan and she understood and mumbled to him to join Sherlock.

Ryan took the bag away from her mouth a few minutes later and sat there trying to breath on her own. Closing her eyes she sighed deeply and turned her head back to see Sherlock speaking to the detective inspector of the London unit entering the room. Which of who Ryan gave the name of '_not Lestrade_' over the phone.

" We're obviously looking at a suicide." Dimmock said to Sherlock removing his gloves.

" That does seem like the only explanation of all the facts." John interjected.

" Wrong!" Sherlock yelled. "It's one possible explanation of some of the facts." He turned toward the Detective Inspector. " You've got a solution that you like, but you're choosing to ignore anything you see that doesn't comply with it."

" Like?" Dimmock questioned with hands on his hips. He didn't seem like the type of man to take direction very well.

" The wound's on the right side of his head. Van Coon was left handed. It requires a bit of contortion." Sherlock mimicked his right hand as a gun to show the difference.

"Left handed?" Dimmock questioned again.

" I'm amazed you didn't notice, all you have to do is look around this flat. Coffee table on the left hand side, coffee mug handle pointing to the left. Power sockets he habitually used the ones on the left. Pen and paper on the left hand side of the phone because he would hold the phone with is right and take note with his left. Do you want me to go on?" he asked Dimmock as he pointed everything out. John sighed, rolled his eyes with hands behind his back.

" No, I think you've covered it." he said calmly. Sherlock turning towards John.

" Oh I might as well, I'm almost at the bottom of the list." he said turning towards the kitchen. " There's a knife on the breadboard with butter on the right side of the blade because he used it with his left. It's highly unlikely that a left handed man would shoot himself in the right side of the head. So conclusion: someone broke in her and murdered him. Only explanation on all the facts."

" But the gun-" Dimmock started.

" He was waiting for the killer. He had been threatened." Sherlock said striding over to his coat that was hanging on the couch next to Ryan

" What?"

"Today at the bank. Some sort of warning." John tried to explain.

" He fired an shot when his attacker came in. " Sherlock said fixing his scarf.

"A- and the bullet?"

" Went through the open window."

" Oh come on what are the chances of that?" Dimmock laughed off.

" Wait until you get the ballistics report. The bullet in his brain wasn't fired from his own gun. I guarantee it." Sherlock said helping Ryan up from the couch and to her feet.

" But if his door was locked from the inside, how did the killer get in?" Dimmock said crossing his arms questioningly.

" Good, you're finally your asking the right questions." Sherlock smirked and with that the trio took their leave.

As soon as the cab dropped them off on baker street as Sherlock promised. Ryan grabbed John's keys from his hands, hopped out eager to get to her apartment as soon as possible. There was a pain forming in her head and being around the two men wasn't making it any better.

"Ryan," John called out trying to get her attention. She unlocked the door And left the keys in the handle as Ryan stomped her way upstairs.

"What's wrong with her?" Sherlock asked confused to her sudden attitude change. John looked to him and sighed as he made his way up the stairs.

"She just isn't having the best of luck today."

" How do you figure?" Sherlock asked following the doctor.

" Well, lets see... " John started. " She hit her head pretty badly and was forced to come along with us on a murder mystery case, Sebastian called her a night walker, and you didn't make it any better by picking a fight with her. So yeah I would be agitated too if all that happened."

Sherlock paused and stopped midway up. " Sebastian called her a what?" John stopped as well and turned to him.

" He didn't say it directly but he implied that you were paying for services.. from her." Sherlock paused again trying to process everything.

" What services would that be? She didn't help us at all besides getting us into the Van Coon flat. She was rather useless today, if you ask me."

John pinched the bridge of his nose with annoyance. "No no no, not those types of services.. oh god how do I put this?" He said under his breath. "Let's start over... he called her, plain and simply a prostitute." John bluntly said with a tinge of red on his cheeks.

Sherlock raised his eyebrows to his roommate with a slightly shocked look on his face. " What? Why would he say that?" He asked continuing up the stairs passing John and heading into their flat.

As he removed his scarf and coat John replied, " Because he's an arrogant sod who probably gets everything that he wants. Ryan told him off good too. Told him to shove off and find a sexual harassment class before she put him in one." John said with a laugh. "I just can't believe your friends with that man."

Sherlock looked at the doorway to see the grocery bag Ryan left earlier. He picked it up. "Well I can assure you John, that I use the word 'friend' with him very loosely." Sherlock said on his way out. He carried the bag up to Ryan's flat.

Sherlock knocked on the door and it opened precariously as he knocked. He made his way in and looked around at the bohemian paradise Ryan had made for herself. As made his way further into her flat, he came across what seemed like her bedroom, a mattress laid on the floor with large patchwork pillows and blankets and fairy lights intertwined in the tapestries that hung on her walls. Sherlock spotted her hanging up her coat and going through her closet pulling out a long cotton weaved shawl. She spun around making it flare. Sherlock eyed her figure as she spun, her body was well toned for her height. The way her hips curved as she turned, her hands were delicate against the shawl's fabric.

"S-Sherlock..." Ryan gasped. " What are you doing here?"

He extended his arm with her bag in hand. " You forgot this." She took it and started headed into her kitchen with a sour look on her face. " Thanks but you didn't have to break in to give me my groceries."

" Your door was open." he followed.

" Just cause it's open doesn't make it okay to go through." She snapped putting her sugar away in her cabinets. " Look Sherlock, can we just not do this right now? I have a headache."

"You had a slight concussion." he said with an raised eyebrow " And do what exactly?" he said and sat down on her couch and inspected the quality of the cushion he was sitting on.

" This back and forth between us." She sighed joining him. " Look I'm all for being your neighbor and friend but all this tension and stress is going to lead to me in the nut house and I don't have the time and money for all of that." she laughed leaning back into her couch rubbing her temples.

" Well your right about that." he agreed settling in his seat and picked up a rose shaped pillow and threw it to Ryan." ... Where did you get these ugly things?"

She laughed and threw it back to him. " Its not ugly, its creative. My manager at had a lot of stuff from his ex-wife who didn't pick it up when she left town. So one persons divorce settlement makes for furniture in my house." she smiled winking an eye. " Plus it makes the place seem cozy, and a hell of a lot warmer than what it was."

" These colors are making me sick." he said getting up. " There's too much inconstancy. I need to go anyway, we need to find Sebastian to tell him what happened to Van Coon." Ryan stood up to show him out.

"Well then," she smiled and shown him to the door. " As always it has been a pleasure Mr. Holmes."

" I could say the same about you Ms. Clarke." He said almost about to take his leave. " Oh and keep ice on your head, its starting to swell again."

" But Mom, all the cool kids have unsymmetrical heads." she mocked. Her phone chimed as it received a text. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw it was from Brad. Her expression turned from content to grim. " I have to go Sherlock..." and she shut the door in his face.

_'Ooh, probably shouldn't have shut the door like that... I'll make it up to him somehow.'_ she thought and walked slowly to the couch the shawl dropping to the floor from in-between her arms. The text read: ' Blue/Orange'. She sat on her chaotic pillows and blankets and stared at her phone deep in thought. Her eyes welled up and she wiped the oncoming tears away before they could form. She texted back 'TY' throwing her phone across the room to her papasan when she was done with it. She pulled her knees into herself and laid her head on them feeling a sadness she hasn't felt since she left the states.

It was hard without her mother and brothers around. She made the decision to move to the UK ever since she was a little girl, to also travel the world, study abroad. 'Some things never work out the way you want them to.' she thought sighing deeply. ' I should go back and take care of her myself, Brad was never good at taking care of anyone especially himself when he was sick, how could I expect him to take care of Mom.' Then Ryan thought back to what her other brother Collin said a night before her flight to London. _' If you don't leave now, you'll never get out.' _

She was having cold feet the night before and thought she could hock her tickets and passport for a bus to Florida instead of leaving the country. She was glad she snapped to her senses and fly across the pond. A smile of self pride slid across her face as she rocked herself into a small cat nap.

"It was a threat;" Sherlock said to Sebastian who sat at an chic modern fusion restaurant with his business associates. " that's what the graffiti meant."

Everyone at the table slowly stopped what they were doing to look at Sherlock and John's entrance, besides Sebastian who still chewed his food. " I'm kind of in a meeting. Can you make an appointment with my secretary?" he said smugly looking up at Sherlock.

" I don't think this can wait. Sorry, Sebastian." Sherlock started. " One of your traders, someone who works in your office, was killed."

This statement wiped the smirk off of Sebastian's face. "What?"

" Van Coon." John said. " The police are in his flat."

" Killed?!"

" Sorry to interfere with everyone's digestion, " Sherlock addressed the table. " Still want to make an appointment? Would maybe Nine o' clock at Scotland Yard suit?" Sherlock said in a hurried tone and walked towards the restrooms, John and Sebastian in follow.

" Harrow, Oxford." Sebastian said while convulsively washing his hands. " Very bright guy. Worked in Asia for a while, so..

" You gave him the Hong Kong accounts." John finished his sentence for him.

Sebastian dried his hands. " Lost five million in a single morning, made it all back a week later. Nerves of steel that one."

" Who would want to kill him?"John asked to keep him on track. Sherlock listened to Sebastian intently to see if he could rule him out as a suspect. Also feel a twinge of anger that he didn't understand.

" We all make enemies." he replied.

" Yeah but not everyone gets a bullet through the temple." John snapped. Sebastian's phone chirping and he pulled it out of his breast pocket.

" Not usually. Excuse me." he checked his texts. " Its my chairman. Police have been out to him. Apparently, they're telling him it was a suicide." he looked to Sherlock questioningly.

" They have it wrong Sebastian. He was murdered." Sherlock stared him in the eye sternly trying to implore him to believe what the real facts are.

" Well, I'm afraid they don't see it like that and neither does my boss." Sebastian said growing angry. " I hired you to do a job; don't get sidetracked. Especially from your so called girlfriend. She gave me some lip today, that of which I would-" he started to make his way out but Sherlock placed a hand on his chest stopping him abruptly.

" Would what? Head's up Seb, she would never be interested in someone like you. Even if you paid her?" Sherlock snapped. " I know what you said to her, Seb. Now wouldn't it be interesting if everyone from your office found out that you had a little experiment with that woman from William's stag night all those years ago... I bet everyone would just love to hear all about him.. I mean her." Sebastian huffed and pushed past Sherlock and John with a nervous look on his face.

John took a double look at Sherlock and pointed to where Sebastian once stood. " What was that all about?"

" Just a small threat to his reputation." Sherlock said fixing his gloves to fit more snugly. " Let's go, he's of no use to us now." John followed Sherlock out of the restaurant and wondered to himself. _' Did he plan that or was it all on impulse.'_ he cleared his throat as he thought on it. _' No, most likely planned. Why would someone like Sherlock defend someone's honor like that?_' he shrugged it off and joined his room mate in a cab home.

The next morning Sherlock awoke to the smell of bread. He wrapped himself in his white sheet and scuttled across the cool floor of his apartment to see Ryan in his kitchen baking what looked to be scones. Ryan spotted him enter into the kitchen. His curly dark hair a mess and a tired expression on his face.

" Good Morning beautiful." she joked turning back to glazing the tops of her creation.

" What's all this?" he asked yawning. " and who let you in?"

" These are a thank you slash Ryan's oven doesn't work properly scones." Ryan said placing one on an napkin and laying it before Sherlock to partake. It was a small three by four inch triangular scone with what seemed to be hand shaped, blueberries, walnuts, raisins, carrot, shredded coconut, wheat flour, all topped with glaze.

Sherlock was going to turn it away and settle for tea or coffee, but his stomach had other plans. ' how long has it been since I had something to eat?' he thought his stomach panging at the sight of the pastry. He picked it up his blanket still in hand and took a small bite. 'It's fresh, made only about... ten minutes ago, not to hot to touch but still warm enough where it hasn't hardened.' he thought as he chewed. ' Hint of orange in the glaze, the cinnamon doesn't over power the taste of the bread. I think... I may like this...'

Ryan sat down at the table across from Sherlock, flinging the hand towel on her shoulder. " I wanted to show my gratitude for you taking care of me yesterday when you didn't have to" She reached across the table and squeezed Sherlock's hand.

" Really thank you..." she smiled and let go of his hand and he popped the remainder of the scone into his mouth trying not to speak to her right after she had made physical contact with him. She got up and wiped the pans that were drying next to the sink and started to hum a tune to pass the time.

" Stop that." Sherlock interjected with his mouth full of pastry. " It's too early for all that."

" No its not, I always hum when I dry." she said to tease him and went on humming louder. He rolled his eyes, stood up to picked up another and took a bite on the way to his room and hid the rest in-between his blanket folds.

" These are awful." he lied with a mouth still semi-full. " The consistency is all wrong, and you got little flakes of carrot and raisins in it." Ryan laughed and turned to him with a glass bowl in her hands.

" No its not," she said with a smirk making its way across her face.

" Oh I think they are." he swallowed.

" Oh Yeah? Then why are you trying to hide it if you hate it so much?" she asked not particularly looking for an answer and went back to drying. Sherlock looked back at her on the way to his room and shot her an growl of annoyance.

Ryan laughed to herself at how childish was being, then realized._ ' Was he wearing clothes under that sheet.?'_ Her mind began to wonder about his form. His bare strong shoulder's, smooth collarbone, leading to the small hair's on his chest between his nicely formed pecs, and those lips...'_ No, NO. Stop that Ryan. Get a hold of yourself. I know its been a while... okay why am I kidding myself.. a long while but you have to stay focused. You came to this country with a goal in mind.'_ she cleared her throat. _' Plus it's Sherlock we're talking about. He's your strange neighbor and nothing more.'_ and she left it at that.

A few hours later, Sherlock sat in his chair staring at a photograph of the graffiti on the oil painting while Ryan sat in John's chair and read 'Annabelle Lee' from Sherlock's Edgar Allan Poe collection.

John walked into the door, waved to Ryan and began to remove his coat.

" I said could you pass me a pen?" Sherlock said eyes still set on the photograph. Ryan looked up from the book and shook her head a bit.

" You didn't ask me that." she said and went back to the passage.

" When did you say that?" John asked placing his coat over the backing of his chair not to disrupt Ryan.

" When you left for your job interview." John picked up the closest pen he could find and he threw it to Sherlock, who caught it in a flash.

" So how was the interview? You passed with flying colors I hope." she smiled.

" Oh Yeah, great. She's great."

" Who?" Sherlock said smirking towards Ryan who also noticed John's word's.

John looked back at the both of them. " The Job."

" You had that job in the bag anyway." she got up from the chair and crossed her arms in front of her as if she was going to be in a long conversation. "So tell me Hijo, who is she? Whats she like?" Ryan said in an Spanish accent to lighten the mood.

" T- there is no she. It's only the job. Which I start tomorrow." he said with a smile.

" Well that's good, I'm sure we'll hear more about 'it' later." she smirked sitting back down. John lightly sighing.

" Your worse than Mrs. Hudson." he joked, Ryan laughing along with him.

" John, take a look," Sherlock said and nodded his head towards his computer besides him. John strode over and started to read.

"' The intruder who can walk though walls.'"

" Happened last night. Journalist shot dead in his flat. Doors locked, window's bolted from the inside. Exactly the same as Van Coon."

" God," John thought on it a moment. " you think-"

" He's killed another one." Sherlock let out a small breath and placed his hands in front of his mouth in a preying position with a concerned look on his face. Ryan looked to him and thought. _' Sometimes I really wonder what goes on in that head of his.'_

Sherlock and John went to Scotland Yard to pay Detective Dimmock a visit to show how the incident at the bank and this man who was killed by a mysterious force may be connected. As the sun was going down that day, Ryan was called in to mind the shop by herself. Philippe had made the excuse of his dog was sick, but by this point in their relationship, she knows that he had not owned a dog ever in his life. A little annoyed by his excuses, she still enjoyed the peace and quiet the later shift offered.

Ryan held a glass bowl of brownie batter in one arm and a wooden spoon in the other stiring the batter just right, not to over oxygenize it. The way she stired brought back a memory of the time she almost suffocated Collin and herself due to the many (in Ryan's word) 'small' house fires by her first attempts baking with her brother. _' Ah, good times...' _

There was a chime at the front of the shop. Ryan set down the bowl and grabbed a handi-wipe to sanitize her hands rushing to the front of the shop. " Good Evening, Welcome to Memory Lane Bake- Oh no..."

" Good Evening Mrs. Clarke." Mycroft said from across the small bakery. " Always a pleasure.."

AN- OH Yes! It is finally the New Year and how to celebrate it other than a new chapter! WOO. Whats that? First Christmas now New Years? Has the world gone mad?! ... No its just they both lay on a Thursday and it worked out that way. :) But because of the holidays and my work schedule being wonky, I cannot promise when I will have the new chapters out by sadly. But fear not I will not leave you guys hanging, there may or may not be an original chapter in the works. SO there's that to look forward to. BTW THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of the Follows and Favorites! I never expected it to expand the way it did. Also sorry if this chapter is a bit short, this has been a challenging episode, I promise to do better next time! So I am very grateful for all you lovely people and Hope this year is a good one!

Casper6six6- I love Ryan too. I'm glad that she's coming together so nicely. I can't wait to write more! Thank you for your support! Hope you have a good New Year!

Princess Mew Mew- Always a pleasure darling! I never liked the Sebastian character, he always seemed shifty to me. Like the type of guy who would rob you blind and expect you to thank him for it. I'm glad that I could give you a nice present. I'm typing as fast as I can and am able. Hopefully I won't disappoint. Happy Holidays!

Littlebirdd- Your comment made me smile! :) Happy Holidays!

KD- Ryan is unique that's for sure and I hope that conveys into further chapters. Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays!

Ashtonschocolatemilk/Savannah- Whoa! Thank you SO much for your comments and reviews! It makes me happy to get feed back and I will type as fast as I am able! :D Happy Happy New Year!

Polkadotedllamas- Thank you! I appreciate your feed back and support! Happy New Year!

TerraCantor- I'm glad that you are not disappointed! I want to portray Ryan as a girl just trying to life paycheck to paycheck like the rest of us and get into as little trouble as possible. Sherlock is a major monkey wrench in that plan of hers, Haha. She's warming up to him though. Thank you for your lovely words and see you in the New Year!

RoxanneRay-Smell is the strongest connection to memory that we have and now we know that Sherlock is not going to forget her that easy haha! I read some Sherlock fics where they fall in love instantly but Sherlock to me isn't focused on that part of his life yet so slow and steady wins the race! I love writing his sassy moments, he's a sociopath and I hope that his personality comes across as such. He is and will always be a challenge, but I'm so glad that he's coming across so well. If that ever changes let me know! Happy New Year!


	6. A busy evening

Ryan loved the bakery, it gave her a peace of mind that she could always have this secure space away from home. A quiet place where she could relax and be creative... but now Mycroft Holmes was a few feet away from Ryan and she felt as if her world has had its first invasion.

"Good evening Ms. Clarke," He smiled. " Always a pleasure."

"Mycroft... always interesting.. " Ryan said cautiously. " What can I do you for?"

" I've come to procure a half dozen of your Tiramisu pastries and two macadamia chocolate chip cookies, please." he said waiting patiently.

Ryan was unsure that what she heard was true. Mycroft Holmes, older brother of Sherlock Holmes was in her shop, ordering pastries like a normal person. 'Whats the catch...'

" S-sure. Of course, let me get those for you." She said getting a box ready out from under the counter. Opening the glass casing and grabbing her tongs she began on his order. " So.. What brings you around? After this your not going to take me hostage over muffins will you? Cause I would like to be home before ten."

" Not this time I'm afraid." he joked.

" So why are you here, not saying that your not entitled to get your own sweets, just you being in the government and all. I would think you would have you assistant get them for you." Ryan said placing the last cookie in, closing the box up and placing it in a clear plastic bag for him.

" The last time I sent my assistant out for sweets they brought me back a basket of fruit. They take my memo's far too seriously. I was in the neighborhood and knew that you would be in, so here I am."

" Oh, yeah. Your on a diet aren't you?" she smiled unbagging and unboxing Mycroft's order. " Well then you won't be needing this" As she was putting his order back on the shelf's, his eyes widened a bit and his brow furrowed.

" I take it you don't want my business then, Ms. Clarke?" Mycroft questioned sharply.

" Oh no, I do want your money nothing would make me happier. " She smiled placing her hands on the counter. " I just have something that you'll like better than what you wanted." she hopped to the back and grabbed the cookie sheet off the cooling rack bringing it up front and placing it on the counter.

" What may these be?" Mycroft leaned over to see what looked like chocolate chip cookies with fruit.

" These are Chocolate Cherry cookies and the healthiest thing you will find in here other than my dark chocolate fudge bites, but you seem like someone who would enjoy something lighter rather than bitter." She placed one on a napkin and handed it to him. " Go on try that. If you hate it I'll remake your order."

Mycroft was hesitant but he slowly took a bite. Letting the taste rush over his palate. He nodded his head in agreement of the cookie. " Remarkable... that's quite the pastry. How many calories do you figure?" He said with a smile and taking another bite.

" Well the average chocolate chip cookie has 74 calories but is way up in saturated fats where most diets want you to keep clear of. This little cookie has 94 calories but half of the saturated fats so its heart healthy, and plus twice the protein." she informed him. " So as portioned I would say that one and a half of these guys will satisfy for a small snack other than two of three traditional cookies would."

" You sure do know your profession well Ms. Clarke." Myroft complimented. " How many do you have left for the day?"

" Well sadly to say but I only have about a this dozen left." She said getting out a small box for the rest of the coco-cherry's for him. " But I can make a deal with you if you really do like them."

" And what sort of deal would that be?" He asked.

" Every Monday I can bake you up enough for the week say about two dozen, label them as vegan so your assistant can pick them up and still be following 'orders' and I would be able to give you a discount how about that?" Ryan said putting out her hand to shake on the deal.

Mycroft swallowed the bite. " That deal sounds good, almost too good to be true." he asked eyeing her hand. " What would in it for you besides the obvious?"

" Business for my shop. I'm not sure if you noticed but not every bakery stays open late if it doesn't have to." Ryan said still extending her hand. " Plus you have alot of possibly hungry employees, so all I ask is to spread the word."

" Rather true." Mycroft said gripping her hand and giving it a shake.

Ryan held up his bagged box with his treats handing it to him. " That'll be 5.85 quid please."

" Pleasure doing business with you, here is my personal number if you do so happen upon making these within the week, I would like my other half." he handed her a ten and some change.

" Will do." Ryan smiled " Have a good evening." and she eyed him wave off to her as he left._ ' Well that was interesting.'_ She went to the front of the shop and clicked the neon sign off and locked the door. " Best I'm going to do this evening. Time to bake those brownies for tomorrow morning and I am outta here." she spoke to herself and headed to the back of the shop unaware that there was a woman across the street with a camera snapping pictures of the shop.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sherlock and John came home later on that evening to Ryan taking out what smelt like chocolate chip cookies out of their oven.

" Welcome home. Would you like a cookie? I made about a three dozen." she said placing the cookie sheet on the stove to cool. She took off her mits and turned off the oven. " Oh John thank you so much for letting me use your oven for the time being. Mrs. Hudson called someone, they'll be in on Thursday."

" Not a problem at all." he said smiling.

" Yes a problem," Sherlock snapped. " Your baking equipment is getting in the way of my experiments, your lucky we're on a case my focus isn't on the mess you made. Like the flour splattered in between the counter and the oven, the cherry jar lid still on said counter and residue from the cherry all along the side of the garbage bag."

Ryan placed her hands on her hips. " Well I'm so glad that your not focused on it or else that would just bring me to tears." she joked. " I'm not even done yet, gimme a minute the place will be spotless... well my messes will be. Not so sure about your doings to this poor kitchen."

Sherlock opened his mouth to speak but John cleared his throat loud enough to distract him from saying anything." Thank you Ryan. You take as long as you need." John said taking off his jacket. He felt something in his pocket. " Oh, yeah that's right. We were in Piccadilly today and I picked you up a little something."

" You didn't have to get me anything John." she said watching him unwrap it from the baggy. He held out to her a small Chinese lucky cat about the size of his palm.

" Aww, cute! A lucky cat." Ryan said delicately picking it up. " Thank you John. I'm going to put it in the shop tomorrow near the register for good luck." she moved the cats paw that swung back and forth to make it seem as if it was waving to him and hugged John sweetly.

" Your welcome." he said hugging her back for a moment as she released.

" I'm going to put him upstairs for the moment, I'll be back." she said and left to her flat. John turned to see Sherlock eyeing him.

" What?" he asked. " What is it?"

" Trying to butter her up won't work. She still sees you as her brother. So I would cut your losses now while you still have her friendship." Sherlock said as he pinned up new evidence to the mantle.

" No, no. I refuse to believe you. Did you see the way she thanked me? There's something there." he said pointing to the doorway.

" No there's not." Sherlock corrected him. " I know that your going to outright refuse what I have to say on the subject so please save us the time and energy and ask her out already."

" I will and I'll let her choose where we go, to show you that it won't be your stupid coffee shop theory." he asked.

" Fine." Sherlock said egging him on. " But remember, we have to find Soo Lin before anything else happens."

Ryan came in the side door and straight into their kitchen to bag up the remainder of Mycroft's cookies and started to get to work on cleaning up. John cleared his throat lightly and went into the kitchen.

" Hey Ryan, after your done here, I was wondering if you would like to grab something to eat." John asked, his hands behind his back.

" Thank you for the offer but I'm not really all that hungry but if you want we could go to a cafe or perhaps a bistro." she said over her shoulder. This made John's heart sink, ' Maybe Sherlock was right.' John thought.

" Bistro sounds lovely." John replied and let her get back to cleaning. Sherlock gave a smirk that annoyed John to no end.

" Its a bistro Sherlock, Not a coffee shop." John whispered to him.

" You do know that a bistro and a cafe are the same thing right?" Sherlock corrected him.

" No no, a bistro is a restaurant." John defended.

" What ever you say. I don't have time to argue about this." Sherlock said as he touched his palms together in preying position staring at the new evidence they collected.

" Are you ready to go?" Ryan said grabbing her coat and whisking it on. John turned and peered into the kitchen. It was as if someone traded in their kitchen for a better brighter version.

" That was quick." he said kinda dazed at her talent. " You did all that in no time flat."

" Well you know, I usually work at a fast pace when I'm at work so its no big deal." she buttoned her coat and fixed her hair.

" Well thank you, We appreciate it." John said smiling.

" Don't bring 'we' into this." Sherlock said still staring at the mantel.." Be back in at least two hours John we still have work to do."

" Well, I don't think that its going to take us that long. Its only nearly eight now." Ryan said. John came behind her and ushered her towards the doorway.

" You know what, I totally forgot, I ate earlier. I think it was the baking you were doing set something off in me." John said quickly.

" Are you sure? We could still go for coffee, if you like?" Ryan said pointing to the door.

" No, no that's fine. Maybe another time." John said leading her out the door.

" Well, alright. I left some cookies on the stove if you were interested." she said and waved them bye.

There was an unsettling silence between the two men. Sherlock smirking away knowing that he was right. John looked back at his room mate. " Will you stop that already. You don't know what would have happened alright, you can't know everything." and he made his way into his bedroom. Sherlock still sat and smiled at his friends internal struggle. His phone buzzed, it was Ryan calling in.

" Hello?" he answered.

" It's almost remarkable how your brain works. How did you know he was going to ask me out?" she asked.

" Oh please the signs are all there and I was just looking to prove a point." he responded blankly. " Nice work with asking him to a bistro."

" Anytime.. I guess. Not really sure why you texted me to suggest a cafe. I'm starved."

" I'm on a case." Sherlock stated.

" I wasn't asking you out, I know you don't work on a full stomach." she laughed. " But can I at least interest you in some chili cheese fries later, aka me eating most of the fries and you telling me why it's bad for me."

" I was going to tell you why anyway whether I go or not." Sherlock answered.

" It's a date then." Ryan joked. " I'll talk to you later Mr. Holmes."

" No it's no..." and she hung up the phone. Sherlock looked at his phone to confirm that she had hung up completely on him. He closed his phone and held it in between his hands wondering if she really thinks that its a date or if she was being sarcastic._ ' Why are social interactions so bothersome?'_ he sighed.

Then he thought of Soo Lin, a woman who fled at the thought of her being the next victim by this mystery assassin. A strong willed woman living alone, away from family and severely focused on her career. Soo Lin reminded him of Ryan, a young woman living alone, away from family and friends. She was the key. If they were to find Soo Lin, why would she listen to two men, she would most likely lie to get out of the situation and then flee the country. She would need someone to connect with in some way if they were to get as much Intel as possible from her. Sherlock gave Ryan a call back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The museum had an unusual eeriness about it late at night, Sherlock moved the large vent out of the way so that John and Ryan could make their way's though as well. " Now, we have to be very quiet and be light on our feet if we're to find her."

" Why did I agree to this in the first place?" Ryan sighed in a whisper, shivers running up her spine.

" You agreed to help me talk to her. Now will you keep quiet?"

"I thought we were going to this Soo Lin's house to talk to her, not breaking into a museum. This place is creepy" she responded but then thought on it for about a moment. " Why is she here in the first place?"

" SHHHhhh.." Sherlock said

" Rude" Ryan said Sherlock looking over his shoulder rolling his eyes.

He lead the trio to the sub-basement, where the artifacts were held. Sherlock motioned John to go off to the left, Ryan was in thought as she kept behind Sherlock as they made their way further into the room. Something about being in a public setting after hours was unsettling, like someone staring at you in a deserted hallway.

When Sherlock filled her in on the details of why they were trying to find Ms. Yao and the first thing that came to Ryan's mind was the elderly man from the first case she had see Sherlock on. She was afraid that something like that history may repeat itself but she wanted to help the young woman in anyway she could. She knows how hard it is coming to a country and building up a life for yourself. Now someone wants to take that all away from someone else. ' That's just not right.' Ryan thought. She understood why Sherlock would want her for this case. It was hard for Ryan to trust anyone the first couple of years of being on her own before she embraced the help from strangers.

A darkened statue startled Ryan from the corner of her eye and she silently gasped and grabbed onto Sherlock's arm. He turned back at her and noticed the figure as well, pointing at it she nearly touched it and realized that it was stone. Ryan touched it to confirm what she was afraid of. Letting go of Sherlock and motioned him to carry on with a slight tint to her face. ' Well that was embarrassing.' she thought and followed the detective close behind. They came across a lit table with what appeared to be a tea set and the small shape of a woman.

" Fancy a biscuit with that?" Sherlock said next to the girl. She gasped and almost dropped the teapot. Sherlock with lightning fast reflexes grabbed the pot just in time.

" Centuries old. Don't want to break that." he said looking up at the girl. He returned the teapot to her hands and stood up. " Hello." The lights in the room buzzed and lit up at once.

" Hi, I'm Ryan." she said with a small awkward smile and extended her hand out to the woman.

" Soo Lin..." She said and shook Ryan's hand.

'Off to a good start.' Sherlock thought.

" You saw the cipher.." John joined them a moment later as they sat around the table. "Then you know he is coming for me."

" That's something were here to talk about. We're here to help." Ryan said lightly smiling trying not to scare the poor girl off.

" You've been clever to avoid him so far." Sherlock added.

" I had to finish, to finish this work. It's only a matter of time. I know he will find me." Soo Lin said looking dreadfully down at the tea pots, feeling like coming back to finish them was a mistake.

" Who is he? Have you met him before?" Sherlock asked.

" When I was a girl living back in China. I recognize his .. signature. Only he would do this... Zhi Zhu."

" Zhi Zhu?" John asked.

" The spider." Sherlock answered. Soo Lin started to untie her shoe and shown the trio a tattoo of black circle with what looked like a flower in the middle.

" You know this mark?" She asked.

" Yes. It's the mark of a Tong. Ancient crime syndicate, based in China." Sherlock answered again.

" Every foot soldier bear's the mark. Everyone who hauls for them." Soo Lin said looking ashamed for her past.

" Haul's?" John asked, Soo Lin looked up at him and told him the answer with her deep brown eyes. " You mean you were a smuggler?" she sadly nodded placing her shoe back on her foot.

" I was fifteen. My parents were dead. I had no likelihood, no way of surviving day to day, except to work for the bosses."

" Who are they?" Sherlock said in a deeper tone.

" They are called the Black Lotus. By the time I was sixteen, I was taking thousands of pounds worth of drugs across the border into Hong Kong." Her eyes welling up with tears, she turned to Ryan. " I managed to leave that life behind me. I came to England. They gave me a job.. here. Everything was good. New life..."

" Then the spider came looking for you." Ryan said finishing her sentence.

" Yes," Soo Lin said starting to sob. Ryan pulled a tissue out of her pocket and handed it to the girl. Soo lin took it gladly and wiped her eyes with it. " I had hoped after five years, maybe they would have forgotten me, but they never really let you leave. A small community like ours, they are never very far away."

" Like the clouds won't seem to part." Ryan said reaching out to hold the woman's hand for support. " Soo Lin, we need as much information as your willing to give us. So that Sherlock and John stop all this and you can go on living a normal life." The girl gave Ryan's hand a squeeze and a small smile at this woman's courage. Sherlock noticed this as well, he was hoping just to have her there for comfort for Soo Lin but how Ryan was handling the situation was above expectation.

" He came to my flat. He asked me to help him track down something that was stolen."

" And you've no idea what it was?" John asked the girl shook her head.

" I refused to help."

" So you knew him well when you were living back in China?" John responded leaning in.

" Oh, yes." she nodded her head slightly. " He's my brother."

" Your brother?" Ryan questioned furrowing her brow in confusion.

" Two orphans. We had no choice." she paused. " We could work for the Black Lotus or starve on the streets like beggars. My brother has become their puppet, in the power of the one they call Shan, Black Lotus General."

" Why would your brother do this to you? Orphans or not?" Ryan asked.

" I turned my brother away. He said I had betrayed him. Next day, I came to work and the cipher was waiting." Soo Lin said wiping the last of her tears. Sherlock laid before her the photo of what they had found earlier in the evening.

" Can you decipher these?" Sherlock asked gently. Soo Lin took the photo and pointed to a column.

" These are number's" she said sniffling.

" Yes, I know."

" Here, the line across the man's eye's, it's a Chinese number one." she pointed out again.

" And this one is Fifteen, but what's the code?" Sherlock was getting antsy looking into Soo Lin's eyes searching for an answer.

" All the smugglers know it. It's based upon a book- " she started but was cut off when the lights went out.

" Sherlock..." Ryan said in a whisper, her chest becoming heavy as if her heart stopped.

" He's here. Zhi Zhu." Soo Lin said quietly. " He has found me."

" Oh no no no no... Come on we have to get out of here." Ryan said taking Soo Lin's hand and getting her to stand up.

Sherlock took a deep breath in and ran for the door's, Ryan tried to grab his arm but he ran out of her grip. " Sherlock!" She whispered

"Sherlock, Sherlock Wait!" John yelled as much as he could.

" Come on John, Help me get her out of here." Ryan said slightly struggling with a frozen Soo Lin.

" We should hide. We don't know where this guy is." John said taking hold of her sleeve but Ryan pulled out of his grasp.

" Listen to me, there are three rules that you should follow when there's a crazy person trying to kill you; One: Run. Two: if you can't run hide. Three: a self committed fight. I have two legs still and I'm not so prepared or willing for the other two. So please trust me." Ryan said quickly. "Now Soo Lin, you've been in and out of this place for the past couples of days, how did you sneak back out?"

" I-I took the way in through the loading docks near the trash compactor, its always a little open but it's no use he will find me no matter where I go." the girl cried.

" You can't loose hope." Ryan took the woman's shoulders staring her in the eye. "We are going to get you to a safe location and we're all going to live through this. I just need your help to get us out alright." The woman shook her head in agreement and started to lead her to the back entrance.

" Wait, what about Sherlock?" John whispered keeping his head down as they went through the halls.

" He ran off John, he made his choice." Ryan responded angerly at Sherlock's decision.

The three of them made it to the trash compactor and made their way out of the building through the loading dock, they rounded the corner and kept running. Ryan pulled out her phone to call the police but a card was stuck to the back of her phone. " Perfect." she exclaimed and called the number.

" It's three in the morning Ms. Clarke I barely thi-" Mycroft answered but was cut off.

" Mycroft listen to me, I need your help. We are on the corner of St. Martins and Longs Ct in Piccadilly near the National Gallery. Please we need you to pick us up NOW, I'll bake you what ever you want! Just pleas-" he cut her off.

" Consider it done Ms. Clarke. Your lucky I have agents in that area this time of morning. What is it that you need help with?"

" Thank you! I'll fill you in when we get here." and she ended the call.

" Who was that?" John asked hanging onto Soo Lin's hand as they ran.

" A frickin god send." Ryan said and started to call the police.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

" You called my brother?!" Sherlock yelled at Ryan.

" You ran off." she responded in a quiet anger.

" You called my brother though?!" he yelled again. " Out of all the people to call you called him to whisk away our only lead who's alive!"

" Let me repeat this again Sherlock." she cleared her throat. " You. Ran. Off." she turned to him in the taxi on their way to St. Bart's to speak to a Ms. Molly Hooper to prove to Detective Dimmock that the Black Lotus clan exist.

" Sherlock, there's nothing to argue about. Soo Lin is alive and hopefully miles away now and there's nothing that you can do to get her back here. She's off the record thanks to Ryan." John said proud of his friend. " You two fight more often than not. Could you please just try to see it from Ryan's perspective and not pick a fight over this?"

" I'm glad that we could save Soo Lin but now I owe your gluttonous older brother a year supply of Coco Cherries with that favor. Way to go Sherlock!" She yelled at him crossing her arms in a huff. John sighed as Ryan added more fuel to the fire.

" Me?! Don't you pin this on me. You put yourself in that mess. You lost yourself all that money. You lost me- "

" Well You left us for dead!" She yelled and started to motion with her hands. " Did that ever cross your mind when you were running through the halls with a crazy assassin?!" there was an awkward silence. " Oh, is that a 'no' I hear?"

" I was trying to lure him away from everyone." he responded quietly.

" That is the stupidest thing anyone could ever do, Sherlock." she kept her arms close to her. " We were worried about you!"

" But you still left without me!" he snapped.

" Yeah, because that's what you do when there's someone who wants to kill you, Sherlock, You run, and you run fast," she said tears welling up in her eyes but she fought them off. " You should have stuck around instead of trying to be the hero."

After what Ryan said she stared at the road ahead and there was an awkward silence between them all. Sherlock didn't have anything else he could say on the matter._ ' Maybe it was a mistake to ask her along. Things could have gone differently... for good .. or maybe for worse.. maybe there is something I could say.'_ he sighed softly.

" I'm sorry." he said with what little compassion he could muster and looked at her take in a deep breath as her response. She turned to him and furrowed her brow in confused anger looking him up and down, when they came to a stop and got out of the cab. Ryan hugged Sherlock around the middle tightly. Sherlock didn't see this coming, he mainly didn't know what to do with his arms. They were stiff when she embraced him but they found their way comfortably around her shoulders. " Don't you ever do that to us again." he heard her say and she let go of him and smacked him on the side so he received the message.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

" What are you thinking?" Sherlock said surprising a Ms. Molly Hooper at the end of the hospital's mess hall. " Pork or the pasta?"

" Oh its you." she said chuckling looking up at him with a friendly smile.

" I'd stick with the pasta. Don't want to be doing roast pork, not if you're slicing up cadavers." he said returning a smile as well trying to make light of her profession.

" What are you having?" Molly asked questionable to his motives.

" Don't eat when I'm working, digestion slows me down."

"So you're working here tonight?"

" I need to examine some bodies." Sherlock answered.

" Some?" she looked up at him.

" Eddie Van Coon and Brian Lukis." He said quickly. Molly remembered those names and looked at the list she held in her hands.

" They're on my list." she confirmed and looked up at Sherlock giving her a most generous smile.

" Could you wheel them out again for me?" he asked nicely, Molly found his motive.

" W- well, the paperwork's already gone though." she fought, Sherlock looked over her face and tried to pull off that he just noticed her hair. Parted to the side like Ryan's, only Molly's has a messy side bun._ ' Ryan would wear this style better, due to the shape of her face. Molly's is too mousey.'_ Sherlock thought. He did a double take to Molly's hair to show interest.

" You changed your hair." he pointed out. Molly's face looking questionable. " The style, you usually part it in the middle. Well, its good, it suits you better this way." he smiled as he lied and got the reaction he was looking for. Once Molly faced the other way, Sherlock's smile was non existent after that as he checked his watch for time. After Molly's lunch she undoubtedly wheeled the two cadavers onto an examination table where she began to unzip the top of the bag. Sherlock and Dimmock came into the room behind Molly.

" We're just interested in the feet." Sherlock informed her.

" The feet?" Molly reacted.

" Just the feet please." Sherlock corrected her. The young doctor unzipped both the cadavers bottom halves and revealed that both men bore the mark of the TONG.

" Either both men just so happened to visit the same Chinese tattoo parlor or I'm telling the truth." Sherlock said in a awful 'I told you so' manner.

" What do you want?"

" I want both Van Coon's and Lukis' books." he smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

" When was the last time you slept?" John asked Ryan as he took off his coat.

" That is a good question, define sleep." she said putting her pointer fingers together.

" Ryyannn..." he scolded.

" Thirty nine point five hours."

" Thirty nine?" John said shocked as he sat down in his chair.

" Point five I might add." she laughed and laid on their couch.

" Ryan, that's really dangerous. These nap's your taking aren't enough for your to function correctly. "

"I'm functioning just fine John. I know my limits."

" Why did he need to visit his sister? Why did he need her expertise?" Sherlock said to change the subject.

" She worked at the museum." John replied.

" You saw how she adored those pots, she was a history wizz, now she can never go back to them." Ryan thought out loud.

" Exactly, an expert in valuable antiquities." Sherlock started placing his hands in his pockets. " Ancient Chinese relics purchased on the black market. China's home to a thousand treasures hidden after Mao's Revolution."

" And the Black Lotus is selling them." John finished his sentence. Sherlock looking over to Ryan.

" Ryan, Could you hand over John's Laptop to me please?" he asked. Without opening an eye she felt around for it and held it up for him to retrieve from the couch. He grabbed it and placed it back on the table and sat in the middle of the couch, moving Ryan further back into the couch.

" Could have done that anywhere." She said nudging him in the side with her elbow.

As usual he ignored her and came to a website auction house for Chinese relics. Ryan turned on her side and held her head up with her palm.

' Her body temperture is evelated. You would think from how many coats and blankets she has she would poor blood circulation.' Sherlock thought to himself. He shook the thought and refocused on what he was looking for.

" Look here. Arrived in from China four days ago... and it doesn't give his name. Two undiscovered treasures from th east."

" Would that have anything to do with the victims?" she questioned, John came over as well sitting near Ryan's feet looking over Sherlock's shoulder.

" They could have been in their suitcases. Also look," Sherlock pointed out." Here's another one. Arrived from China a month ago. Chinese ceramic statue, sold four hundred thousand."

" Look, the month before that. Chinese painting, half a million."

" All of them from an anonymous source." Sherlock confirmed. " They're stealing them back in china one by one, they're feeding them back into Britain. John got up and checked the two victim's log books for a moment while Sherlock checked a few more websites.

" Well, every single auction coincides with Lukis or Van Coon traveling to China."

" So what if one of them got greedy when they were in China? What if one of them stole something?"

" That's why Zhi Zhu's come." John said and was interrupted by a small knock at the door.

" Ooo Hoo, Sorry. Are we collecting for charity, Sherlock?" Mrs. Hudson said in the doorway.

" What?" Sherlock responded.

" A young man's outside with crates of books." She answered. Sherlock got up and Ryan took her chance to make herself more comfortable when the police brought in at least fifty crates into the small flat.

" So the numbers are references." Sherlock started opening the crates to look where to begin. " To specific pages and specific words on those pages."

" Right, so fifteen and one, that means..." John said looking for some clarity.

" Turn to page fifteen and its the first word you read." Sherlock said rather quickly trying to keep his friend up to speed. " Has to be one they they both own."

" Well this shouldn't take too long should it?" John said opening a crate labeled Van Coon. From the couch area it seemed like the police boxed Ryan into her own little fort when Sherlock and John saw her hand shoot up from the top of her enclosement.

" Oh don't worry about me over here. I got this section." She said making hand motions to the mountainous crates that surrounded her. " Little scary but I got this."

Detective Dimmock made his way through the flat and up to John and Sherlock handing them a piece of paper in an evidence bag.

" We found these at the museum. Is it your handwriting?"

" We were hoping that Soo Lin would be able to translate it for us." John said taking the evidence packet.

" Tough, there's still no sign of her anywhere, I'm afraid we still have people on the look out." Dimmock said. He cleared his throat. " Is there anything else I could do? To assist you I mean."

" Some silence right now would be marvelous." he snapped at the detective. A few moments went by and Detective Dimmock left the trio in peace.

" Jeez Sherlock, do you think your being a little rough on the poor guy? He seems to have a crush on you though maybe you should ask him out for coffee to let him down easy." Ryan laughed. He gave her a dirty glance raising his eyebrow. John lifted his head up in realization that maybe things with Ryan wouldn't have worked out as he would have hoped.

" Just get to work." he said returing to the books. " Both of you please."

The night went on from there they searched and searched through the victims books and here and there Sherlock would way a word or two out of context and John would write the word down to try and keep organized on a pad of paper. Ryan would then take the titles of her books and his to compare them. But Sherlock made things chaotic and all sorts of mixed up by his own standards. This went on all night until the six am bell rang from a nearby church. John left for the day and it was just Ryan and Sherlock left to themselves. Ryan moved herself from the comforts of the couch to work in John's chair but a few hours later her mind slipped into dreamland.

" Roulette, Keep's and Misty." Sherlock said from his stack of books. He set them down next to the chair for Ryan to write down. He went to pick up the next book, only to realize that she fell asleep. Her eyes were calmly shut, her head was leaning against the edge of the backrest as her legs dangled off the side of the arms of the chair. Her fingers book marked on two different books and a pen still in her hand, the pad of paper had fallen to the floor. It seemed that she had been asleep for a while, there were stacks of books around her that Sherlock had put down without even noticing.

" You can't sleep here." he said in a whisper as he stood over her for a moment. He sighed deeply choosing against waking her up. John and her were fighting about how little sleep she gets and he wasn't confident about waking an insomniac, if her actions may be violent. So Sherlock moved a few of the stacks over and picked her up from the chair as gently as he could and made his way to his room. Nudging the door open he laid her on his pillow gently, her body took to the softness of the sheets and the comfort of the elevated mattress. Sherlock heard Ryan softly sigh and adjust herself before he left and looked back at her relaxed state. _' She looks somewhat peaceful. Hopefully she'll be out long enough where I could get some work done.'_ he thought and left to his work.

Hours later John came through the door, after his shift and set down his things. Sherlock ruffled his hair and said " I need to get some air. We're going out tonight."

" Actually," John started slowly. " I've got a date."

" There's no way, she's been asleep for the past five hours." Sherlock said astonished that John may have asked Ryan out when he was not looking.

" Oh well good to hear that she's asleep, but no I wasn't talking about her. I've got a date with someone else."

" What?" Sherlock asked.

" It's where two people who like each other go out and have fun."

" That's what I was suggesting." Sherlock stated.

" No, it wasn't." John corrected his room mate. " At least I don't think it wasn't."

" Where are you taking her?" Sherlock asked feeling around in his pockets.

" Cinema." John answered and Sherlock sighed.

" Dull, boring, Predictable." he retrieved a red flyer with gold lining advertising a type of circus, from his pocket and handed it to John. " Why don't you try this? In London for one night only. "

" Thanks, but I don't come to you for dating advice." John said trying to hand the flyer back to him but overall put the flyer on the side table on top of books. Sherlock stared at him and scoffed.

" Trust me, take her there and she'll enjoy herself better than the boring affair you had planned." Sherlock said walking past his friend and straight into his room to get a change of clothes for himself before going to the bathroom to freshen up.

He opened the door quietly and saw Ryan the same way that he left her. Sleeping peacefully as she was a few hours ago only he had noticed that a stray hair was over her cheek. He reached in and stroked his finger across her cheek and placed the hair back into place slowly. When he made contact with her skin he had also noted how soft she was. He felt the warmth from her skin again by gently laying his fingers and thumb over her cheek.

_' Even with little to no foundation she has on, her facial skin is smooth...'_ he thought. Sherlock rarely had the chance to examine a woman with a pulse this close up. The only other woman who would let him this close was Molly Hooper from St. Barts, although he wanted to keep his distance from her so she wouldn't think anything more of him. Sherlock knew that she fancied him... maybe a little too much. _' But with Ryan I wouldn- ' _He cut his thought short.

Sherlock removed his hand quickly from her face feeling a tinge of embarrassment and went to his drawers and opened them to retrieve clothes. The sound from the drawers dragging along each other awoke Ryan from her slumber. She gasped and sat up quickly turning towards the noise.

" Where am I?" she said realizing that it was only Sherlock.

" Your in my bedroom. You were taking up space in the living room so I put you in here." Sherlock said taking out a pair of socks as well as an undershirt. Ryan fell back down on his pillow taking in a deep breath enjoying the quality of the mattress.

" How long was I out for?" she asked mid-yawn.

" About five hours now and I would appreciate it if you got up." Sherlock said closing his dresser and walking out of his room.

" Five hours!? That's not a 'few' hours, Sherlock!" Ryan said sitting up in the bed again this time she stood up and followed him out. " Why did you let me sleep for that long?" she yelled seeing the living room in complete disarray.

" Your body apparently needed it from what happened last night. Speaking of last night, I have something to ask you." he said taking the flyer John had placed on the side table earlier and handing it to her. " Only one night in London, would you like to accompany me?"

" The circus?" she looked over the flyer. " Like with elephants and dancing bears?"

" Not exactly, more like contortionist, and aerial acrobatics those sorts of things."

" Oh.. Umm."

" You don't have to go," Sherlock said quickly noticing the hesitation in her voice. " I completely understand and I know that you are very busy with-"

" No, No, its not that. I- I would love to go." She smiled. " Sounds like fun. I actually haven't been to a circus since I was a kid. So it should be interesting." Ryan said. " Thank you. This is kind of you..." She paused looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you being so nice?"

" Don't sound so surprised. Would you want to join me or not?" he asked with a bit of attitude.

" Yes I will." she laughed at his explanation. " So would you want me to meet you here then or do you want meet me at my door like a real date?" she teased.

" This isn't a date, its an outing. John and his date will be there as well." he corrected.

" So it's a double date?" Ryan joked crossing her arms.

" No a date indicates that we have some sort of interest in-" Sherlock was interrupted by Ryan's finger's covering his mouth.

" I'm pulling your leg, Sherlock." she said seriously. " You have to work on catching sarcasm." she removed her fingers. " I'll see you tonight." she said a left for her own flat.

Sherlock was left to himself and wiped the feeling of her touch from his lips with his knuckles, but still her touch lingered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

" Its been ages since anyone's taken me to the circus." Sarah boasted.

" Well, its ...a friend recommended it to me. He phoned up." he said still unsure if taking dating advise from Sherlock was the wisest.

" Ah, so what are they a touring company or something?"

" I actually don't know that much about it."

The two look up at the theater and see large red paper lanterns and a cloth banner above the door with a large intricate golden dragon painted on it.

" I think they're probably from China." Sarah laughed.

" Yes, I would think so." John laughed along with her. " It is a coincidence."

They make it to the box office to pick up their tickets that was located at the top of the stairs. The theater itself looked to be run down, paint was chipping off the walls and the floors creaked.

" Hi, I have two tickets reserved for tonight under the name Holmes, please." John said taking out his wallet.

" Actually, I have four in that name." the ticket attendant said and shown John the summary.

" No, I don't think so. We've only booked two." John corrected the man.

" And then I phoned back and got two more for ourselves." Sherlock said appearing behind his room mate. Ryan came up behind Sherlock in black pumps waving to the couple. She was wearing black tights with a grey high knit sheath dress with a black collared long sleeve underneath.

" I'm Sherlock." he said extending his hand to Sarah who took his hand.

"Sarah." She smiled.

" Hi, I'm Ryan." she waved to Sarah who smiled back at her. Sherlock started heading up the stairs and John nodded to Ryan and hurried towards his friend.

" What's all this about?" John asked Sherlock who looked at him confused.

" What's what about?" Sherlock said turning back to the doctor.

" Why is Ryan here with you?"

" I asked her here."

" On a date? And after the hoops you made me jump through the other day with her?" John said irritated.

Sherlock sighed deeply and rolled his eyes. " No it's not. Why does everyone think that this is a date? Plus your on a date with Sarah."

" You couldn't let me have just one night off?" John asked.

" The Yellow Dragon Circus, in London for one day. It fits." Sherlock expressed. " The Tong sent an assassin to England. "

" Dressed as a tightrope walker? Come on, Sherlock! Behave!" John yelled in a whisper.

" We're looking for a killer who can climb, who can shin up a rope. Where else would you find that level of dexterity?" Sherlock said seriously not in the mood for John's attitude towards him. " Exit visas are scarce in China. They'd need a pretty good reason to get out of that country. Now all I need to do is have a quick look round the place. So I need you to keep Ryan focused on the acts while I go around."

" Why would she care if you have a look around a place filled with Chinese smuggling killers?" John joked answering his own question.

" I thought that you wanted us to get along." Sherlock asked.

" Yeah but somewhere else. You know what.. Fine you do that. I'm going to stick Ryan in a cab and take Sarah for a pint."

" I need your help." Sherlock said in a lowered tone.

" I do have a couple of other things on my mind."

" Like what? What's so important?"

" Sherlock, I'm right in the middle of a date. You want me to chase some killer while I'm trying to get off with Sarah!" John said at the absolutely wrong moment while Sarah and Ryan turned the corner and started to head up the stairs. " Hey... Ready?"

" You two are rubbish at whispering." Ryan laughed as she walked past John to join Sherlock.

" How much did you hear?" Sherlock said as they entered the dimly lit theater with the seats torn out and replaced with a large covered object to the right and a ring that was lit by many candles.

" Oh not much, just how your putting yourself in imminent danger again." She scoffed with a smile.

" And?" he questioned placing his hands behind his back.

" And what? Do it. Your a grown man, you can investigate whatever you want." she laughed. " But answer me this, you do know that we aren't married right? Because you acting like it."

" Oh I thought you two were married." Sarah said coming up behind them. Sherlock rolled his eyes and took Ryan by the arm and led her to the side.

" I just didn't want a row in public." he whispered to her.

" And you'll get your wish Sherlock." she said crossing her arms whispering to him. " I know very well that you are a Detective-

" Consulting Detective." he corrected as Ryan shot him an evil eye.

" Just do what you want, it's the career you chose and made up. " she sighed. " But as I told you before. I don't want any part of it. Pretty much anything that'll put me in death's fast lane, no thank you. I don't even know why you asked me here in the first place, your the one investigating not me."

'_Why did I ask her?_' He thought. '_ She has no real use here.'_

" I've said it once before" he started." I don't mean to put you in harms way."

" I know but..." She looked down at her feet and sighed. " If you really do need me for help...I'm willing to help you when I can so that those kinds of people aren't on the streets anymore." Ryan said looking into Sherlock's eyes. "Like with Soo Lin, she would have never made it out of that place if I didn't push her to leave. Just don't put me into those kinds of situations again, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest and run away to Florida."

" I appreciate the offer but I don't really feel like your going to be much help." he thanked her in his own special way and the lights in the theater started to dim further. he offered his arm. " Have you been to Florida?"

" I've been once. Lovely beaches, I kept finding sand everywhere for the next two months after my trip." She laughed taking his arm smiling as they joined John and Sarah.

" You said this was a circus, this is not a circus. Look at the size of this crowd. Sherlock, this is .. art."

" This is not their day job." Sherlock corrected.

" No, sorry, I forgot they're not a circus, they're a gang of international smugglers." John laughed.

A light drumming began to quiet the crowd as everyone began to hush. A small woman dressed in traditional Chinese garments walked front right and center in the middle of the circle quieted the drumming with one hand, but then a deeper drumming began to set the tone of the evening. The woman went to uncover a large contraption that looked similar to a crossbow, then began to show to the crowd a large bamboo carved arrow. The woman loaded the bow and took a feather from her hair to ignite the weapon sending it barreling into the block of wood across the room. The crowd applauded until a man also in traditional Chinese garb was brought out in chains and secured to the block.

" Classic Chinese escapology act." Sherlock whispered to Ryan who turned to him slightly but still watching the stage.

" Crossbow's on a delicate string. The warrior has to escape his bonds before it fires."

There was a cymbal crash with the music making Sarah jump into John's arms. Ryan and Sherlock looked at each other as the couple in front of them got cozy. Ryan mimicked a damsel in distress by putting the back of her hand across her forehead and acted faint for a moment making Sherlock laugh under his breath._ ' Looks like we're at least on the same page on Sarah's poor acting skills, she must really into John.'_ Ryan thought. The ringleader loaded the bow again and this time she punctured a bag of sand attached to a weight that hung above the trigger.

" She splits the sandbag and the sand pours out. Gradually the weight lowers itself into the bowl." Sherlock explained watching the actions play out in front of them. The warrior struggled and fought as time ticked on. Finally as the weight released the trigger the arrow went flying into the block at the last possible moment missing the warrior. The crowd cheered to the warriors talents. Ryan felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Sherlock head to the back of the stage. John turned to look at them and saw that his room mate had gone a Ryan crossing her arms in worry smiling at John waiting for the next act to begin.

" Ladies and gentlemen, from the distant moonlit shores of the Yangtze River, we present, for your pleasure, the deadly Chinese bird spider." the woman said and cleared the stage while the audience applauded. A man fell from the ceiling from red silk ribbons an began his act.

" Did you see that?" John asked Sarah as they gazed on.

" Oh yeah, I can totally do that." Ryan joked with an unamused tone making Sarah giggle. As they watched on the man flipped and preformed many bounds during his aerial acrobatic routine, showing his strength and agility. On the actual stage behind the makeshift circus ring the curtains fluttered that caught John's eye, but he thought it nothing and continued watching on clapping along with the crowd. John noticed it again only this time Sherlock came flying from the curtain landing on his back off the stage below.

John strutted as quickly as he could toward Sherlock. Ryan quickly behind him to help fend off the Chinese assassin coming up behind Sherlock. John tried to power drove the assassin away but was kicked to the side. Ryan was trying to help Sherlock to his feet so that they could make their getaway. The assassin saw this and kicked her center of gravity sending her to the ground, reared back his sword to take out Sherlock but Sarah came around with a bamboo arrow and smacked the man with it repeatedly over the head before he started to go down. Ryan found her footing quickly and jumped onto the man's back to veer him away from Sarah as she kept beating him with the stick. The man knocked out falling on his face, Ryan was plucked from his back by Sherlock and forced to run out the theater.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"The old hall of totally deserted." Detective Dimmock said as he escorted Sherlock, John, Ryan and Sarah through the offices.

" Look, I saw the mark in the circus. That tattoo we saw on the bodies. The mark of the Tong!" Sherlock yelled.

" Lukis and Van Coon were part of a smuggling operation." John tried to explain calmly. " One of them stole something while they were in China. Something valuable."

" These circus performer were gang members sent here to get it back." Sherlock yelled at the Detective.

" Get what back." Dimmock asked. Sherlock was stunned with rage.

" They have no idea what it is." Ryan said smiling trying to make light of the situation.

" You don't know? Mr. Holmes, I've done everything you asked. Now Lestrade seems to think that your advice is worth something I gave the order for a raid. Please tell me I'll have something to show for it, other than a massive bill for overtime.

" Look here ..' Not Lestrade'... without him you would have shut the case along time ago and named it a suicide. Now this man brings you an international smuggling ring that if caught and disbanded could save lives ...and your complaining about overtime. " Ryan said without thinking.

" Excuse me?" Dimmock raised an eyebrow at the young woman.

" You've been moaning and groaning ever since you laid eyes on Sherlock." Ryan said " Now do you want him on the case or not? Cause if your complaining about overtime you have to get your priorities straight before taking on more than you can chew." Detective Dimmock looked the woman in the eye who was giving him so much grief. She was making some good points. He sighed deeply and nodded his head to Ryan.

" Your right, this case is becoming a bit too much for me." Dimmock honestly said. " But its mainly because him is keeping me in the dark is not helping." the detective pointed to Sherlock.

" You have no one to blame but yourself. Don't pin this on him. Sherlock's got too much on his plate as is. That of which he is doing for free I might add."

" Come on, Ryan." Sherlock took her arm and pulled her away from Dimmock. " We're leaving."

" But I didn't even-" she struggled.

" I'm sure you verbally abusing him is quite enough for one night." he stated.

Once outside of the precinct John and Sarah let out a large laugh, pointing at Ryan.

" What is it?" Ryan asked putting her hands on her hips.

" You are unbelievable, you know that.?" John laughed holding his side.

" I thought we were all going to end up behind bars the way you were talking to him." Sarah added holding her stomach.

" Yeah, well," Ryan put her hands in her pockets slightly embarrassed." Those kinds of excuses annoy me. Plus you guys will find whatever they took. Somethings bound to come up."

" I hope so, or else this has been a waste of time." Sherlock said seriously killing John and Sarah's mood.

They finally reached home and Ryan waved off to the couple who headed inside. She was half way up the stairs to her flat when Sherlock came up behind her.

" Oh Ryan. " He said watching her turn. " You were right about the circus, it was... interesting."

" Oh yeah, you can say that again." She laughed and ran a hand through her hair to de-stress. "Good night Sherlock, You'll figure it out. Consulting Detective remember?"

" Good night Ryan." he said and left for his own flat. She opened her door and set down her things heading for her couch, she splayed herself on the couch kicking off her shoes to enjoy the comfort of the cushions and found the inside of her eyelids for a few moments. She thought back to her actions earlier and laughed to herself. _'Strange things happen when I get a decent amount of sleep._' she reached over and clicked her lamp on to see her windows splattered with a light yellow paint in the shape of Chinese numbers.

" Oh god.. " She whispered to herself. She scurried up from the couch and opened her door heading down the stairs. " Sherlock! John!" but there was a man at the bottom of her stairs in all black looking up at her. Ryan ran back inside her apartment and tried to shut the door before the man got in. He grabbed her by the hair and knocked her out with the butt of his gun.

XXXXXXXXXX

The room was spinning from what Ryan could feel, her head pounding with a searing pain in her left temple. She tried to bring up her hands to comfort herself but she couldn't move her hands. Ryan opened her eyes to find herself in a large alley tied to a chair and her mouth gagged. She started to panic looking around she saw John and Sarah in the same situation besides John who's mouth wasn't gagged. He was starting to come around.

" A book is like a magic garden, carried in your pocket." an older woman dressed in all black accompanied by two gentlemen staring at the three of them tied. She started to head towards John and removed her sunglasses." Chinese Proverb Mr. Holmes."

" I- I'm not Sherlock Holmes." John said as best he could with a massive headache.

" Forgive me if I do not take your word for it." she lulled reaching into his pocket removing his wallet. " Debit card, name of S Holmes."

"Yes, that's not actually mine. He lent that to me."

" A check for Five thousand pounds out in the name of Mr. Sherlock Holmes."

" He gave me that to look after."

" Tickets from the theater collected by you, name of Holmes."

" Yes, okay. I realize what this looks like, but I'm not him."

" We heard it from your own mouth. ' I am Sherlock Holmes and I always work alone, because no one else can compete with my massive intellect.'"

" Did I really say that?" John asked himself internally kicking himself. " I suppose there's no use me trying to persuade you I was doing an impression-" he said veering away from a small handgun the woman aimed at his head.

" I am Shan."

" You're- You're Shan?"

" Three times we tried to kill you and your companion Mr. Holmes. What does it tell you when an assassin cann't shoot straight." and she pulled the trigger to expose blanks making John breath heavily in fear. " It tells you that they're not really trying." she loaded the gun and cocked it back. " Not blank bullets now. If we wanted to kill you Mr. Holmes, we would have done it by just wanted to make you inquisitive. Do you have it?"

" Do I have what?" John asked still breathing heavily trying to move away from a loaded gun. " I don't know what you're talking about."

" I would prefer to make certain." she said and gave the men behind her a look where one of the men revealed the sensitive crossbow from earlier that evening. " Everything in the west has its price, and the price for their lives: information." John suddenly looked over at Sarah and Ryan looking terrified at Shan's statement. The men came up to Sarah picking her up and placing her in front of the crossbow, thusly going back to Ryan picking her up and placing her chair behind Sarah so the two women were back to back. Ryan screamed in her gag and struggled in her ties. Her mind racing a million miles an hour as to figure a way out of this mess. Ryan tried to move in the chair but the men besides the women kept them from moving too much.

" Where is the pin?" Shan asked. " The empress' pin, valued at nine million sterling. We already had a buyer in the West and then one of our people was greedy. He took it, brought it back to London, and you Mr. Holmes have been searching."

" Please, please listen to me. I'm not Sherlock Holmes, and you have to believe me." he cleared his throat quickly. " I haven't found whatever it is your're looking for."

" I need a few volunteers from the audience." Shan yelled out. " Ah, thank you ladies. Yes, you both will do very nicely." Shan started to load the crossbow and she struck the sand bag holding the weight in place setting off the timer. Sarah was pleading through the gag while Ryan was trying to maneuver herself so she could see what was going on in back of her. She saw the sand pour out of the bag and her struggles became more frantic.

" Ladies and gentlemen, from the distant moonlit shores of NW1, we present for your pleasure Sherlock Holmes' Pretty companion's in a death-defying act. We can also assure you that the arrow from this range will strike both. If not we can always try again." she laughed walking over to the women.

"Please Don't"

" You've seen the act before ladies, how dull for you. You know how it ends." Shan said laying a paper lotus on Sarah's lap.

" I'm not Sherlock Holmes!" John yelled at Shan trying to make her listen.

" I don't believe you!" Shan yelled back.

" You should, you know. The real Sherlock Holmes is nothing at all like him. How would you describe me, John?" Sherlock said from the shadows. John's heart lightened up a bit. " Resourceful? Dynamic? Enigmatic?" one of the men went after him and he hid further into the shadows. General Shan kept her gun locked and loaded in front of her. " That's a semi-automatic. If you fire it the bullet will travel at over a thousand meters per second."

" Well?" she asked gun still pointed.

" Well," Sherlock repeated her emerging from the shadow and bashed the man who was after him in the head with a lead pipe. " The radius curvature of these walls is nearly four meters. If you miss, the bullet will ricochet. Could hit anyone. Could even hit yourself." Sherlock ran towards them and kicked the lit barrel making it just a bit darker and harder to see. Shan put the gun down and ran for the opening of the tunnel making her escape.

Sherlock dashed in front of a very frightened Ryan taking out her gag and started to untieing her bottom knots when Zhi Zhu brought a thick red rope around Sherlock's neck trying to choke him into submission. The two struggled while Sarah's eyes teared up looking at how much was gone of the sandbag. Ryan rocked back and forth trying to get her chair to go on it's side so she was at least out of the way of the arrow. She noticed how Sarah stopped struggling behind her.

" Sarah! Sarah, try to knock yourself over on your side. I don't want to be shish kabobed-Whoa." Ryan said successfully knocking herself over to the ground. " Oof." John managed to knock himself over as well as he made his way to the crossbow as quickly as he could.

The weight continued to lower and everything that Ryan was saying to Sarah was going in one ear and out the other, she was frozen in fear. Ryan struggled to move her legs to kick Sarah out of it but it was no use her legs were still bound tightly. Sherlock and Zhi Zhu were still at it, looking as if Zhi Zhu was winning until John knocked the crossbow over with his foot and shot him in the stomach with the arrow.

There was a deep silence between everyone at that moment until Ryan looked to Sherlock and said. " You know how I said I would help?" he nodded in confirmation holding his throat. " Well forget I ever said anything." Ryan finished and laid her head on the ground in defeat trying to catch her breath.

Sherlock stood up untangling himself and stood Ryan upright. " Your okay. You're going to be all right. It's over now." he said to comfort her as he untied her from the chair. Then the two started on Sarah's binds.

" Don't worry, next date won't be like this." John said to Sarah as tears fell down her cheeks.

As the night went on the police were called to the scene and Ryan secured herself two shock blankets and was determined to keep them this time. Detective Dimmock strode up to Sherlock and Ryan to see if they needed anything.

" We'll just slip off. No need to mention us in your report. "

" Mr. Holmes, Mrs. Clarke." Dimmock started.

" I have high hopes for you, Inspector, a glittering career." Sherlock said.

" If I go where you point me." Dimmock said with a smile. Sherlock put his arm around Ryan and they went down the street to grab a taxi.

" What was that all about?"

" What was what?"

" With Dimmock. 'A glittering career.'" she air quoted still in her blankets.

" Just something to get him to start thinking." Sherlock said removing her blankets in the process of removing his arm from her shoulders. " Did you really mean that you don't want to help me anymore back there?" he asked.

Ryan casually tossed her head back and laughed. " Gosh, give me a day. I was only kidnapped and bashed upside the head earlier today."

" Because I would think that you would like to give her the news." Sherlock said putting her hands behind her back.

" Give who the news?" Ryan asked.

XXXXXXXXXX

" Amanda." the secretary answered her phone after lotioning her hands.

" He brought you a gift." Sherlock said over the phone.

" Oh Hello.." she answered.

" A little gift when he came back from China." he started.

"How do you know that?" Amanda questioned.

Coming up behind her Sherlock stated " You weren't just his PA, were you?"

Amanda shut off her phone and spoke directly to him Ryan came into her space behind him.

" Someone's been gossiping?" she asked.

" No, Scented hand soap in his apartment, three hundred milliliters of it bottle almost finished. "

" Sorry?" Amanda said confused as to why soap has to do with the affair.

" I don't think Eddie Van Coon was the type to buy himself hand soap not unless he had a lady coming over. It's also the same brand as that hand cream there on your desk."

" Smells lovely by the way." Ryan complimented.

" L-Look, it wasn't serious between us. It was over in a flash. It couldn't last. He was my boss." Amanda said in a huff.

" What happened?" Ryan questioned with a concerned look.

" Why did you end it?" Sherlock asked as well. Amanda sighed and looked down at her desk sadly.

"I thought he didn't appreciate me." she said. "Took me for granted. Stood me up more that a few times. We'd plan to leave for a weekend then he's just leave, fly off to China at a moment's notice."

" But he bought you a present to say sorry, right?" Ryan said trying to make the woman feel better. " What was it?"

" Oh, he got me this hairpin." She said starting to take it out of her hair and handed it to Ryan who immediately handed it to Sherlock. Aware of its value Ryan didn't want to hold anything that could get her in trouble if anything were to happen to it.

" He said he bought it in a street market."

" Oh I don't think that's true. I think he nicked it." Sherlock said looking at the workman's ship on the pin.

" Yeah, that's Eddie." Amanda laughed.

" Didn't know its value, just thought it would suit you." Sherlock said.

" Oh, What's it worth?" Amanda said lightly. Sherlock looked to Ryan who was showing a toothy grin and nodded his head to tell the woman. Ryan cleared her throat and leaned in to Amanda.

" Nine... Million.. Pounds." Ryan said watching the smiled escape Amanda's face as she stood up and backed up knocking over a few things along the way.

" Oh my god." she gasped. " Nine Million!" She screamed to her coworkers. Ryan laughed and looked up at Sherlock.

" Your right, that was fun." she said smiling still. " I'm glad that we got to make her day." Sherlock left the pin on Amanda's desk and started to walk out extending his arm for Ryan to take. They met John in the lobby and proceeded to leave the bank for 221B Baker's St.

The next morning Ryan came knocked on Sherlock and John's door with the tip of her foot holding a plate of triangle scones for them. " May I intrude?" She asked.

" Your going to come in anyway." Sherlock said from the living room desk while still reading the newspaper.

" Fine, I'll just take these scones elsewhere." Ryan played and turned around slowly.

" No!" Sherlock yelled to her. " Please come in... Your lucky I haven't had breakfast yet." Ryan strode over to him and he took two and placed it on one of the many newspapers and took a bite. John was finishing his waffles but took one as well.

" Thank you. I take it your oven is fixed then."

" Yes, finally. It was driving me up a wall, the baking smell was barely there when the guy was finished." she laughed and put the plate on the coffee table on top of a set of books. " By the way John, whats up with your sweater?" she pointed out. John was wearing a long sleeve grey and black striped sweater.

" What's wrong with it?" he asked cautiously.

" Nothing, makes you look younger." she said and pinched his cheek playfully.

" That's it, I'm changing." he said and got up to leave the room. Ryan laughing under her breath.

" Well, I just wanted to leave you two with some baked goods. I'm off to work. Have a great day." She waved and Sherlock hummed a goodbye with food still in his mouth.

" Try not to scarf them all down all at once." She joked and left for the day.

While walking down the street a man in an abandoned room was taking pictures of Ryan crossing the street, he also took one of her putting her hands in her pockets and one of her turning her head around checking her surroundings. These photos were uploaded to a laptop and then thusly a usb. The mysterious man put the device in his suited pocket. His laptop chimed in with an incoming call. He answered it as a chat window. He was able to see them but they could only see his words. It was General Shan on the video feed.

"Without you.. without your assistance, we would have not found passage into London. You have my thanks." she said nervously.

M- Gratitude is meaningless, it is only the expectation of further favors.

" We did not anticipate, we did not know this man would come... this Sherlock Holmes and his companions." Shan said slowly as not to be misunderstood. " And now your safety is compromised."

M- You made the worst mistake you could possibly make.

M-they cannot trace this back to me.

" I will not reveal your identity." Shan assured him.

M- I am certain.

The man saw the fate of the General sealed when he saw the order being taken out over the computer screen. ' Funny how a little red dot can make such a mess.' he thought with a dastardly smile. He brought the usb from his pocket and gave it a longing kiss. ' Your safe now...'

XXXXXXXXXX

AN- Did you miss me? I certainly missed all of you lovelies! I'm sorry it took so long. Hopefully this will tide you over for a while got a little bit of Molly and A lil bit of Moriarty which is going to be exciting in chapters to come! :D BTW: Sugarless Tea now has up to 65 Follows! That is insane! Thank you all so much for your love and support! It means so much to me! I'm glad that so many people are enjoying Ryan so much. On my profile I have links to what I believe Ryan looks like in my mind's eye. So please check her out if you wish or if you have your own version of Ryan that you like feel free to message me in my inbox. Also don't forget to Review, This helps me keep on track and make the story better so please Review! Thank you again and I'll see you in The Great Game!

IlowerTheIQ- I'm glad you think so, Thank you so much for taking the time to read! :D

Ariah23- Well I hope it wasn't too long of a wait for you! I hope it plays out to your liking haha! Thank you so much for reviewing See you in the next chapter!

88dragon06- Thank you for your sweet words. I love writing Ryan and Sherlock! One of the many reasons why I started it all haha!

Princess Mew Mew- My Princess! Oh, how I misses you so! haha It's been far too long! I noticed that a lot of people updated their stories all at once on New Years Day. A lot of the stories I follow emailed me that there was a new chapter but the link was no where to be found. haha Thankfully it was all fixed. Sherlock is going to go through a lot of confusing moments like wondering why he defended her honor. Yay character development! Hopefully you like Mycroft and Ryan's scene. I wanted them to start a sort of business relationship in a way. Mycroft doesn't seem to have any real friendships besides those of strictly business. I'm looking forward to your next review! See you then. :D

Dream I Dare- Whoops! sorry about that. I added 'X's and AN in all caps. So hopefully no one can get confused again! Thank you so much for your feedback!

ILoveThee- Thank you for reading! It would be absolutely boring for me if I didn't make it at least a little humorous. Glad you enjoyed it!

Tinker16- Thank you Thank you for taking the time to read it! I will definitely try my hardest! :D


	7. Problematic Sun

"Bored!" Ryan said to no one in particular in the bakery. Leaning on her palms she noticed the lucky cat John had purchased for her. It's happy vacant face and weighed arm swaying back and forth. " I'm beginning to think that your not as lucky as some people may think you are." She stood up and stretched her back staring at the clock on the wall. " Come on Philippe..." she yawned. " It's almost four now."

It was a slow day to say the least. The trash was taken out, the oven's cleaned, the inventory checked, the counters, floors and windows spotless. Ryan was almost out of practical things to do, all besides scrub the grout but she thought that that type of boredom was meant for another time.

The bells that hung from the back door's knob rang while Philippe came waltzing into the shop.

" Who ever that may be better work here." Ryan yelled to the back in a annoyed tone of voice.

" Who else may it be?" Philippe said making a grand entrance though the archway to the front of the shop. " Ryan my dear how are you?"

" Glad you finally decided to show up." Ryan said on her way to the far side of the counter to grab her things. " Everything is done you just have to man the register for another two hours and close up shop."

" Ryan my dear you are a god send. Like an angel without wings."

" So.. like a person?" Ryan grabbed her bag from under the counter and set it between her knees as she put on her coat.

" Exactly." Philippe laughed. " Oh by the way I need you to close up tomorrow evening."

" ... And what shift will you be working?" Ryan questioned.

" Well you have the morning shift because you need to be here to bake my little biscuit." he explained. " Then you leave for two hours then come back for the night shift."

" You do realize that's a fourteen hour day since I'm here at four am everyday."

" Yes, I know you won't mind. You are the greatest baker in all the land and have the energy for this kind of thing. You would only be minding the evening shift for about a week." He tried to flatter her but Ryan stared to laugh.

" Oh no no no, I do mind. I mind very much." She said with anger as she slung the purse over her shoulder.

" Why is my money not good for you anymore?" Philippe said in a harsh tone changing face quickly. " Look if I could hire another person I would but that is something we can't afford right now."

" No, its not that." she sighed. "It's just your working me into the ground. Fourteen hour days? It's bad enough that I work ten hour shifts. " she had her hand on the handle of the front door. " Just cut me some slack once and a while. I mean imagine if you had to work my shift?"

" That my dear would be absolute torture..." Philippe said in a serious tone. " But I don't...Bye Bye now."

"Philippe.." Ryan started but he cut her off and waved his hand to shoo her.

" I said 'bye bye now.' I'll see your lovely face tomorrow." he said eyeing her to leave. Ryan put her hands up in surrender and left the shop and headed for Bakers street.

'_ Man, sometimes Philippe can give me such a headache. How he ever became a manager, the world may never know. Well maybe besides Sherlock._' Ryan thought this and it brought a smile to her face, '... _maybe I should introduce them and watch Philippe cry. That should make me feel better, right?_' But then her smile turned sour as she remembered that she was working a fourteen hour shift tomorrow.

Philippe trying to make Ryan feel guilty for not accepting the shift right away made Ryan clutched her fists tight. ' _How dare he try to make me into the bad guy. If anything I should ask someone to help me file a case against him, like Lestrade or Mycroft...Wait did I just imagine myself asking Mycroft for help again?_' The thought made shivers run down her spine but she would never do that. He was just a man trying to run a bakery. That should be punishment enough for him that he's running his business into the ground. ' _Plus Mycroft would probably make me his personal baker or something. He may be a worse boss than Philippe_.'

'_At least I have the rest of the night off and hopefully I can grab a few naps along the way._' She thought, searching her bag for a lighter and a cigarette. She lit it and inhaled deeply enjoying the bitter taste rushing over her palette. Ryan started to head home at a rushed pace hoping for her headache to at least dull with the cigarette. '_ Things with Philippe have gotten worse. I never thought that he would put me though this kind of stress_.' she thought. '_I have to find a better job_.'

She tried to keep her mind off her neglectful boss put out the cigarette before she got home and headed up the stairs. She heard the ringing from a gun resonate through the house. She waited at the bottom of the stairwell, hearing it come from 221B she covering her ears and headed up.

" Sherlock?!" Ryan yelled from his doorway. He stopped firing the gun and looked towards her.

" Oh, I thought you were John." He said, his body slumpt in the chair and he shot blindly towards the wall.

" Will you stop that?!" She yelled again.

" Why? Do you want a go at it?" he asked perking his head up.

" ...No thank you. " she crossed her arms.

" You hesitated. Hesitation to a question usually means that the person is lying."

" No, I don't want to fire your stupid gun, Sherlock." She walked in and sat in John's chair rubbing her temples.

" Whats wrong with you?"

" Do you even have to ask?" Ryan eyed him with a smirk.

" No, not really. I was only asking as a polite gesture, not as if I'm interested. "

" Oh I think I know that all to well Sherlock." she sighed. " So go on what's wrong with me."

Sherlock gave her a look over. Her sleeves are creased as if she had been waiting for a long while. The light bags under her eyes are not any different. The iron deficiency shown along her knuckles show that she was clenching her fists. He hasn't heard her foot steps creek the floorboards for the past ten or so hours, so she had been at work. ' _So what ever's bugging her it happened at work_' he thought. '_ But my boredom is clouding my judgement as if I care enough to ask what happened between her and her boss... She looks like she needs release in some way though... could be fun_.' He got up from his chair and brought her up by the arm to face the Damask wall.

" What are you doing Sherlock?"

" Helping you taking your mind off things." He said putting the gun in her hand and helping her aim it to the wall. " Plus I'm unbelievably bored."

" I don't want to do this Sherlock. Guns make me nervous." She worried.

" It helped relived about seventeen percent of my boredom by shooting. Imagine how much- " He said coming up behind her, his nose inhaling a whiff of her natural scent and a light tinge of tobacco. " Have you been smoking?" he said backing up from her a bit looking at her face blushing in slight embarrassment.

" I do only once in a blue moon, it was a stressful day." she sighed. " Look I'll shoot just this once to make you happy okay." Sherlock rolled his eyes and lifted his hand over hers making her hands clench the firearm. The scent from her hair was more than he could handle. Sherlock has been trying to quit smoking for quite sometime now and he was only inches away from a second hand contact high. '_ What could it hurt?_' he thought leaning in a tad closer to smell what brand it could have been. His hands guided her fingers into the proper way is to hold a gun.

" So you hold it like this but not too tightly." he said quietly as if not to speak loudly in her ear. " This button here is the safety and you know of the trigger. So press the safety off with your right thumb and point and shoot where you want. I prefer the smiley face."

Ryan could feel herself melting against Sherlock's chest. It was a strange sensation she could feel the safety and security in his hands and arms as they enveloped her, yet she was holding a dangerous firearm that made her uneasy. Ryan tried to shake off the feeling internally and aimed to the smiley face and pulled the trigger. Shooting the smiley face in the forehead.

" Good shot. Are you sure you haven't shot a gun before?" Sherlock asked slightly impressed.

" ... I was aiming for the mouth.." she confessed. Sherlock back up from her clearing his throat trying to mask the fact that he was smelling her at an alarming distance.

" Right then. Perhaps this isn't for you after all." he realized and took the gun away from her hands slowly. He then aimed and fired a few rounds into the wall shooting all along the face's mouth and eyes. Ryan's hands quickly covered her ears to the blasts. ' _Does he want me to go deaf?!_'

" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" John yelled on his way into the flat.

"Bored." Sherlock replied to his room mate.

"What?" John asked not hearing him clearly from the ringing in his ears

"Bored!" Sherlock expressed and shot the wall again. "Bored bored bored bored!" John then rushed over and took the bullets out of the gun.

" I don't know what's gotten into the criminal classes. " Sherlock said calmly while going to inspect his fine work. " It's a good job I'm not one of them. "

" So you take it out on the wall then?" John said putting the gun and remaining bullets away.

" Oh, the wall had it coming."

" Repeatedly no less." Ryan joked and sat in John's chair bringing her knees up to her chest.

" How was that Russian case?" John asked removing his jacket.

" Belarus, open and shit domestic murder." he explained and laid upon the couch stretching his legs. " Not worth my time."

" Oh, shame." John said making his way to the kitchen.

" What is worth your time on the 'Sherlock actually giving a hoot' scale?" Ryan asked inspecting her nails.

" Depends on the case. I usually don't leave the flat unless it's a potential seven." he answered her. " This case turned out to be a bust."

" Well at least domestic murder is more than a seven to you." she said starting to chew on her index nail.

" Yes, when the killer practically gives himself away. You should have heard the state of his vocabulary." he answered again and looked to her. " Please don't chew your nails, its distracting."

" Sorry." she said stopping and held her hands to keep them away from her mouth.

" Anything in? I'm starving." John said going to open the fridge and was shocked by a decapitated head on the center rack. He shut it gasping and mentally preparing himself only to open it again to verify what he saw. " There's a head. A severed head!"

" I named him Headly." Ryan said with a smile. " Cause he's a head."

" Just tea for me thanks." Sherlock said comfortably from the couch.

" There's a bloody head in the fridge!" John yelled enough for Sherlock to hear again.

" Where else would I put it? You don't mind do you?" Sherlock said falsely concerned.

" I suggested a separate fridge for all of that stuff. When my oven wasn't working I almost put retina's in the choco cherries." she laughed. " Could you imagine Mycroft's face?" Sherlock gave a small chuckle to Ryan's almost mistake. "Still though, Board of Health would be all over this place in a heart beat... and probably find a heart."

" I got it from Barts morgue. I'm measuring the coagulation of saliva after death."

" Still?"Ryan questioned. " What happened to the last one?"

" Mrs. Hudson made me get rid of the last one again. Maybe she'll learn her lesson when she finds out that there's just an endless supply at the hospital." Sherlock changed subject and pointed to John's computer on the desk. " I've seen you've written up the taxi driver case."

" Yes." John seemed to calm down a bit and sat in Sherlock's chair taking in a deep breath.

" 'A Study in Pink' Nice.

" Well you know, pink lady, pink case, pink phone there was a lot of pink." John explained himself. " Did you like it?"

" Umm, no." Sherlock answered.

" Why not?" John said turning to Ryan. " You liked it right?"

" Umm... Yeees?" she put her feet on the ground and started to stand up." I think I hear Mrs. Hudson calling me."

" Ryan?" John said with confusion in his voice. " You didn't like it either?"

" Its not that I didn't like it. It's a great way for you to express yourself and all. Its just how I came across." Ryan sat back down letting out a regretful sigh that she could have been half way up the stairs by now. "' Enter Ryan a sweet girl dragged into the case, turned to the dark side.' Makes me seem like some kind of minion."

" I'm sorry for that. I'll fix it up for the next time." John apologized. " But Sherlock, I thought that you would be flattered"

" Flattered?! ' Sherlock sees though everything and everyone in seconds. What's incredible though is how spectacularly ignorant he is about some things.'"

" Now hang on a minute, I didn't mean th-"

" Oh you meant spectacularly ignorant in a nice way? Look it doesn't matter to me who's prime minister or who's sleeping with who."

" Or the earth goes around the sun."

" Oh god, that again." Sherlock moaned. " It's not important."

" Not important?" John turned to Sherlock. " Its primary school stuff. How can you not know that?"

" I barely even passed high school," Ryan chimed in. "I bet I missed a bunch of stuff."

" You went to college though." John said. " You were telling me that you were living in dorms."

" Yeah, but I was never registered." She said leaning back in the chair. " Free classes, free meals from time to time. It's a wonder that more people don't do what I did." John continued to stare at her unbelieving.

Sherlock said rubbing his temples with his palms. "If I did know those things I've probably deleted it."

"Deleted it?" John asked turning back to him.

" Listen." Sherlock said sitting up from the couch placing his elbows on his knees. " This is my hard drive and it only makes sense to put things in there that are useful, really useful. Ordinary people fill their heads with all kinds of rubbish ad that makes it hard to get at the stuff that matters. Do you see?"

John bit his lip waiting and he couldn't hold it back. " But its the solar system." he laughed.

" OH HELL, what does it matter?" Sherlock groaned at his friend truly not getting his message. "So we go around the sun or around the moon, or round and round like a teddy bear, it wouldn't make any difference." John looked away and could feel a bubbling of annoyance. Sherlock was feeling the same only laced with anger. '_ Are people really this idiotic?_' he thought.

" All that matters to me is the work. Without that my brain rots." he continued and shuffled his hair. " Put that in your blog. Or better still, stop inflicting your opinions on the world." Sherlock flipped the magazine that was on the table over and turned his back to John and curled up on the couch. John took a deep breath in and got up from the chair grabbing his coat making Sherlock turn in notice.

" Where are you going?" Sherlock asked as if he didn't just insult his room mate.

" Out, I need some air." John said and rushed out the door in anger. The silence was deafening. Ryan eyed Sherlock from John's chair.

" I can feel you staring at the back of my head" Sherlock snapped. "What is it?"

"Teddy Bear?" she asked giggling.

" I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't understand all that."

" Well that's rude." She scoffed. " Do you really think of yourself as a computer?"

" It would be a better place if I were so I wouldn't have to muddy it up with bloody social interactions."

" Well, I would like to think of you as extremely dedicated to your work and you do need to erase some things for the bigger picture." she explained making him turn in interest. " But to deny yourself to be human all the time, I don't buy it." Sherlock roll his eyes and turned back over." Well what John wrote was poorly executed on his end but he still thinks highly of you. He even plugged your website."

Sherlock scoffed and tightened his robe around himself. " If he did think so highly of me, why would he write me as if I am a child?"

" Your sure acting like one right now about it." Ryan said under her breath but Sherlock shot her an evil look.

"...Well you are. It's just a blog. What do you care?"

" I don't."

" You could have fooled me." Ryan said in annoyance. Sherlock got up from the couch feeling like the world was against him. He knew he was in the right and wondered how hard it was for someone to understand how his mind works. Walking and stopping in front of the window Sherlock saw John walking down the street. Feeling Ryan's presence behind him he was growing more and more annoyed.

" What are you doing here in the first place. Aren't you too busy being taken advantage of by your boss to be hanging about?" Sherlock snapped. "Or are you so stupid that you got lost on the way up to your own flat?"

Ryan squinted her eyes and cocked her head to the side. '_And I thought that when I got home the rest of the day would turn out so pleasant._'

" Oh so that's how your gonna be huh? Call me stupid to make you feel better, real mature." She said getting up from the chair and crossing her arms.

" It's mature if it's a true statement." Sherlock shot back.

" Don't take your anger out on me. I'm not even sure why your yelling at me! "

" You hang around here more often than not and nothing would give me more pleasure than to see less of you. At least work would get done."

" You call shooting a gun at a wall 'Work'?!" Ryan shouted.

Mrs Hudson was on her way through the door and knocked hearing them fight and yell over one another. "You hoo."

" Not now Mrs Hudson!" The two yelled to the woman simultaneously at the door and continued to yell over one another as the woman scurried down the hall out of sight.

" You know what, I'm glad that John put all those things in his blog, maybe it'll help deflate your massive ego!" Ryan yelled walking up to him. "' I'm Sherlock, I yell and put people down for not being as smart to make up for my own insecurities. Like knowing about the stupid sun!'" Ryan mocked in a deeper voice.

" I may have an ego but at least I don't hang around people who remind me of my brother out of pathetic loneliness!" Sherlock shouted back. Their bodies growing closer to one another's in rage.

" What are you talking about?! Don't bring my brothers into this out of cruelty Sherlock." Ryan relied. " John, I may see as a brother because he at least treats me like a person but with you. You look at me like as if I'm your pet. Always leading me to one place or another, lying to me and telling me what to do."

"That's only because- " He stopped himself seeing how he was at a loss for words. In a strange way Sherlock realized that his body was physically betraying him in the past few months that they have known each other. He did find himself holding her hand or carrying her out of danger's way or his body involuntarily moving itself to be close to her like the situation before them. They drew together like magnets. ' _What is this strange hold she has over me?_' he asked himself. ' _And what is this strange sensation in my stomach whenever she's around_?'

"Because what Sherlock?" Ryan said seeing the worry in his face. They could feel the intensity radiating between each other and creating a bitter sweet friction in the air. Sherlock dwelled in her eyes, feeling her anger and aggression soften. Ryan looked at his partially open lips drawing closer. Her mind went blank as she found herself leaning in as well. Ryan lost herself in the moment and slowly closed her eyes to feel what would come next.

A loud earthly sound resonated from outside of the apartments making glass shattered from the strong force that of which shoved the two to the ground. Moments later as the dust settled around them, Ryan turned over onto her back slowly and laid there looking over at Sherlock turn over as well groaning along the way.

" You okay?" She asked seeing Sherlock nod his head coughing and shaking the debris off of himself.

Sherlock stumbled getting up to his feet and helped Ryan up as well as they carefully made their way to the window to see what may of caused their windows to explode. They saw immediately that the building across the street was completely blown out. Ryan's hand slowly found it's place in Sherlock's while they looked on the rubble across the way trying to remember that they would have to let go at some point, but for now they allowed to be human with one another.

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AN- Hello Lovelies! Whoa! Don't cha just love a cliffhanger? No? Me either! I'll try to have it out in say in a week and a half at most. Sorry that it's so short, this episode is just as challanging as the last. Please don't forget to Review to tell me how I'm doing! My heartbeat speeds up a little in excitement when ever I see new Reviews, Follows and Favorites! You guys are the best and I would really like to hear back from you in what your thinking so far! :D Until next time See you in the next Chapter!

Guest- Thank you so much for your support I'm glad that your enjoying it! :)

Lunaconspiracy365- All in due time. In sooner than later future chapters we'll see some Ryan and Moriarty interactions :D I'm excited to write for them too! Hope the ending of this chapter kept you on the edge as well! Thank you for the review! 3

Princess Mew Mew- As I write I can see her getting into an ordeal with Mycroft. He's too powerful in some cases and needs to be taken down a notch with Ryan's sassiness. I hope that Sherlock's cluelessness comes across in this chapter, if not it'll be more apparent in the next. Thank you for being for your continuous reviews for each chapter. It's always a pleasure to see your name come up princess. 3

Lucky D- Hecks yeah she's terrified! Ain't nobody but Sherlock and John got time for all of that Jazz! Haha, Ryan helps when she can and if things get too out of hand she knows that she has the power to say 'No, to all of that. I'm going home.' haha! Thank you for your Review! :D

LittleApollyon- Thank you for the lovely complement! I'm glad that your enjoying it ;D

Angel897- Thank you :) Glad that you find it interesting. See you in the next chapter hopefully. :D


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